Not So Cold and Alone
by pyroleigh
Summary: Zelda is content with her hectic life, until a homeless man saves her. Now she's determined to make a difference as the days grow colder. Little does she know how much her own life will be altered. Modern Zike romance with humor. T, I don't see it raising, but these things have a mind of their own.
1. Chapter 1

The chill of the late October air made Zelda smile as she stepped from her apartment. Snuggled into her thick dark gray coat and deep purple scarf she could officially say she loved the cold weather. Even as the wind whipped her brunette hair around her head she couldn't be bothered to be upset. Her life was great, she had a fantastic job, and her favorite holiday was around the corner.  
As she walked down the sidewalk she checked her phone, responding to the most prominent emails first and rearranging her boss's schedule as necessary. Working for the fashion mogul was hectic, but Peach was such a fantastic boss that finding another job would never crossed her mind. Eyes on her phone, she missed the man she collided into. A surprised noise left her lips and large hands landed on her shoulders to steady her.  
Slightly affronted, she looked up into deep blue eyes and an unshaven face littered with deep blue stubble. Chapped lips parted and the sexiest voice she had ever heard left his lips. "You alright?" He removed his hands from her shoulders and she had to resist the urge to shudder.  
"Yes," she nodded quickly and ducked her head to hide her blush. "Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going."  
"I'd rather you walk into me than a car," he said with a slight chuckle. "Be careful." With that he moved on and Zelda couldn't help but watch him walk on. Clad in some weathered jeans and a thin long sleeve shirt, she wondered idly if he was cold before her phone dinged and pulled her back to the present.

XxX  
Lunchtime for Zelda was always hectic. She got an hour for lunch, but by the time she made it out the door that hour had always dwindled down to about twenty minutes of running to the nearest place that serves food and stuffing it in her mouth as she walked back. That day was no exception. She rushed to the elevator and down the five floors to the bustling street below, mind on the tasty and hasty Chinese food joint that made the best egg drop soup and the second best sesame chicken.  
Her fast feet clicked down the sidewalk in her heels as she watched the latest email load on her phone. Arguing with their fabric suppliers was really a fun back and forth, and she always ended up making the better end of the deal. She paused to glance at the crosswalk quickly before looking back down and taking a step off the sidewalk. A large hand landed on her shoulder and she screamed as she was pulled back. A car horn blared as a flash of red zipped by and she gasped in horror.  
"Oh goddesses I could've died!" She whirled to thank the protective hand on her shoulder, surprised to see the man she ran into that morning. "You-"  
"You should put your phone away when you're walking," he chided lightly. He released her shoulder and moved to step around her. Something inside Zelda clicked and she quickly caught up to him.  
"Thank you so much for that," she said earnestly. "I don't know what happened! I looked and there was no one-"  
"Cars through here ignore red lights mostly," he explained as they made it safely to the other side of the street. "Always wait at least ten seconds before going. Keep your eyes off the phone yeah?" He gave her a small grin and Zelda felt the blush on her cheeks as he began to walk off.

XxX  
October turned into November, the chill in the air became almost unbearable, and Zelda found herself neck deep in ordering the latest spring fabrics as fast as Peach could spit them at her. Peach was obsessed with the color pink, apparent in her choice of office decor, and was determined to bring the color back into the spotlight she felt it deserved. Every shade, every fabric style... if the assistant was being honest she could go the rest of her life without seeing pink again and be just fine. Since she valued her job she kept that tidbit to herself and did as she was told, only cringing slightly at texts showing off two shades of the light red that looked so similar she wondered if there was really a difference.  
With an exhausted sigh Zelda shut off her computer and stood from her desk, the slight rumble in her stomach reminding her of the lunch she skipped in order to take a conference call. She felt like splurging on herself a little and decided that she could enjoy a hot coffee and a pastry from the cafe around the corner on her walk home. Happy with herself, she left the building and began her trek. Not five feet from the front door she saw him.  
It had been awhile since she had seen her hero and in those short two weeks he looked almost unrecognizable. His slight stubble had morphed into a full beard, and his cheeks seemed thinner. He was standing beside the bus stop, obviously using the overhang for the minimal shelter it was against the slight mist falling from the sky. It hit Zelda hard in that moment that he had to be homeless. His jacket looked ratty, his hair long enough to show that it needed a decent cut, and as she drew closer she saw the dark circles under his eyes.  
A feeling of empathy reared its head in Zelda's chest and she watched as he scooped up a tattered backpack and moved on. Curiosity filled her and she followed him. Was he really homeless? It seemed so odd that a man who had literally saved her life could be, but as they neared the coffee shop and he ducked into an alley she was forced to admit that he had to be. Her steps slowed as she neared the alley, apprehension filling her stomach. Was he dangerous? He had saved her life...  
With that thought she passed the alley and looked down it, her heart breaking to see him hunkered down by the cold and wet brick wall. Determination filled Zelda to the brim and she moved to the coffee shop with renewed vigor. She ordered herself a warm and delicious looking muffin to go with her caramel cappuccino, and added another blueberry muffin and a black coffee to her order. As soon as she had both drinks in hand she left the shop and peered into the alley. There he was, still against the damp looking wall.  
"Hey," she called out as she entered the alley. He tensed and she watched as his hand gripped his backpack possessively. He kept his eyes on the dirty concrete as she approached.  
"I'm not bothering anyone back here, I'm not begging, just leave me alone." His voice was still deep and almost tantalizing, but it held a hoarse quality that worried her. She frowned and stepped even closer to him, leaving about two feet in case he reacted badly. He had yet to look at her so she sighed and jiggled the bag holding his muffin.  
That made him look up and she felt her heart break even more. His eyes looked haunted, like he hadn't slept since they had last met. Recognition dawned on his face and he lowered his gaze. "I wasn't dirty when I grabbed you, don't worry. Just go Phone Girl."  
"Phone Girl?" Zelda questioned with an amused grin. He shrugged his shoulders in response.  
"Seemed fitting," he mumbled after a moment and she let herself laugh softly.  
"Here," she held out the large coffee for him, angling the bag holding the muffin so he'd know to take both. To her surprise he shook his head and somehow sank lower to the ground.  
"You don't owe me anything, I would've grabbed anyone." She couldn't help but smile at that and, feeling bold, she crouched before him. Silently she marveled at how such a tall man could make himself so small against the dirty wall, then felt even worse as she wondered what brought him here.  
"I didn't buy it because I felt like I owed you, I did it because I wanted to." He finally looked up at her, wariness written across his face as he eyed the bag and coffee in her outstretched hand.  
"I'm not some charity case," he finally said and she rolled her eyes.  
"You're ridiculous," she managed to get the words out with a strained smile before she tossed the bagged muffin onto his lap. "I don't think handing over the coffee the same way will work out too well," she warned. With a huff of either annoyance or amusement he leaned forward and grabbed the cup, careful to not touch her hand. Zelda saw the redness to them, saw how the cold had made the skin rough, and she wished she could do more.  
"Thank you," he said as he pulled the cup closer, already raising it to his lips.  
"Its probably really hot," she warned and he snorted as he took a big gulp.  
"It'll be cold before too long if I let it cool." An icy wind whipped through the alley, making Zelda shiver as she stood up in her incredibly warm coat. He nodded his head towards the entrance of the alley as he took another sip. "You should head home Phone Girl, you don't need to be out in this."  
"Are you... staying here tonight?" she asked haltingly, not wanting to offend him but insanely curious.  
"Probably. Cops don't usually check down these alleys and after my other bag got stolen I'm not going to a shelter. Look," he sighed and gave her a grin that didn't reach his eyes, "don't pity me. Go home, I've survived worse than this." Zelda worried her lower lip between her teeth for a moment before nodding.  
"I hope you like blueberry, they looked the best at the cafe."  
"No complaints here, now go." He made a shooing motion with his hand and she gave him an awkward wave as she turned to leave.

XxX  
The stupid weather app made Zelda stay up half the night. As she laid in her bed, snuggled up under a soft and warm blanket, all she could think of was her homeless savior. Out there in the freezing cold wind and rain in a ratty looking jacket... He had to be beyond miserable. How could she just lay there in comfort when he was suffering? How could she live with herself when the damn app was promising the coldest end of autumn on record, leading into the coldest winter?  
When her alarm went off Zelda was already awake. She showered quickly and dressed as warmly as possible against the cold front that was flirting with bringing snow early. She left her apartment earlier than usual, setting off for the alley she had seen him at last night. There was no real plan in her mind for beyond that moment, but she knew she had to try to find him.  
As soon as she saw the alley was empty dread settled in her stomach. Had the police come by? It's not like she could bail out a homeless man when she didn't even know his name! Annoyed at herself for not thinking of that sooner, she vowed she would get his name next time she saw him.

XxX  
It was an absolutely dreadful day. Peach was on a tirade about one thing after another, and for the first time since she had been hired Zelda thought of quitting. Walking out with a middle finger raised in salute really seemed to be a viable option. When her day finally ended Zelda couldn't leave fast enough. She tore out of the building like it was on fire, only to find herself standing on what had to be three inches of snow.  
"Shit," she cursed as she pulled her gloves from her pocket and slid them on. She hadn't really expected it to snow, nor that heavily, and the worry over Ike and his plight hit her again full force. She had to find him. With that thought her awful day slid from her mind and she trudged through the slush, hoping he was in the alley.  
When she made it she almost cried in relief to see the bump against the brick wall with dark blue hair.  
"Hey!" Her relief was apparent in her voice, and he raised his head to eye her suspiciously.  
"Are you stalking me Phone Girl?" The question barely left his lips before a vicious cough rattled his frame.  
"No," she said with a wince she failed to hide, "but I did try to find you this morning."  
"Gotta clear out before the shop opens," he said with a weak shrug. He met her gaze and she could see that one night out in the weather, and the entire day spent in the elements, had done him no favors.  
"Don't you have anywhere you can be warm tonight?" Zelda questioned with a tilt of her head.  
"I'll be fine," he managed before he coughed again.  
"Can I ask you something really personal?" This was pushing it, and she knew it. He eyed her, distrust making his brow furrow in an adorable sort of way. "Why are you homeless?"  
"That is personal Phone Girl," he admitted with a slight wince. He shifted on the ground and Zelda realized with a pang that he was sitting in the dirty slush. "I uh, I went overseas and... well, short story is my girl moved on and I had nowhere to go."  
"You were military?" He nodded.  
"Honorable discharge due to injury. I came home to see my girl and she had found herself a new man. So, here I am." He licked his cracked lips and nodded to the end of the alley. "Go home Phone Girl, I don't need you getting sick because you're chatty."  
A scoff left her lips at that and she placed a hand on her hip. "You can't stay here all night. It's supposed to snow more and-"  
"I've got some protection against the elements," he cut her off with a dismissive shrug and she shook her head.  
"Not good enough. Stand up."  
"What?" He looked so adorably affronted that she smiled.  
"Stand up I'm not letting you stay here."  
"Where do you think I'm going?" He raised an eyebrow like it was a challenge and she was suddenly glad she spent half her work days arguing and bickering.  
"You're not staying here, I won't allow it. So you're coming with me."  
"No," he shook his head and glared at her. "Not happening."  
"Why not?" she asked incredulously.  
"One thing? You don't know me Phone Girl, I might be some crazy lunatic. Another? I don't know you. You might be some crazy lunatic who wants to harvest my organs for the black market. And, here's another, you still haven't said where we're going."  
He had very good points, Zelda had to admit that, but she wasn't so easily deterred. She cleared her throat and stuck out her hand for a handshake. "Hi, my name is Zelda. I work for Peach, the fashion mogul, as her assistant." He did that huff again, and once more she couldn't tell if it was humor or annoyance that caused it. Finally he reached out with a bare hand and clasped her gloves fingers.  
"Ike Greil, marine corps, discharged." She smiled at him and used her grip on his hand to tug him up. The element of surprise worked in her favor as he rose halfway before he realized what she did. "Where are we going?"  
"We are going to my apartment," she decreed as he finally rose to his feet. He froze, eyes wide.  
"Look Phone-"  
"Zelda."  
"Zelda... I don't think that's the best idea."  
"So a hot shower, free laundry service, and the promise of Chinese food isn't the best idea to you?" Zelda asked with a slight pout. He hesitated and she took the opportunity to take in the tall man. He had obviously lost muscle mass being out on the street, but he was still muscular and tall, made more prominent by the militaristic way he held himself.  
"I think you're crazy," he finally grumbled as he pulled his backpack to his shoulder and she smirked in triumph. "And I'm crazy for agreeing to this."  
"Come on," she grabbed his arm and began to haul him from the alley, a warm feeling of happiness pooling in her gut as they moved. Finally she was doing something helpful for him. He might be rather difficult, but she felt that this was the right decision. She would make sure he didn't regret this, and she was certain she wouldn't either.

XXX  
Well this started as an exercise to help with a bout of writers block and I couldn't stop. Let me know what you think. Much love, Leigh


	2. Chapter 2

Ike stole glances at the young woman pulling him along the sidewalk as they moved, unsure of the situation. He had been homeless for awhile now, and the thought of trusting this bold woman that refused to listen to him made his head swim. He didn't get a dangerous sort of vibe from her, but to open her home up to a man that she had just learned the name of?

"Why are you doing this?" He asked as they neared a nice row of apartments. She looked at him, a small smile on her lips.

"It's the right thing to do," she said with a little shrug and he eyed her warily. "Why'd you save my life?"

The question caught him off guard and he shook his head. "I wasn't about to let you walk in front of the car-"

"Because it was the right thing to do?" The smile she gave him as she spoke made his lips twitch into a small grin as he tried to think of something else to say. Before he could formulate another sentence they stopped before the door of a ground floor apartment. She stuck her key in the lock and turned it, making Ike gulp.

"Come on in," she urged gently as she stepped over the threshold. Ike took a deep breath and followed her, only to immediately stop on the mat laid out by the door, his bag falling to the floor forgotten. Her place was amazing. The entryway was narrow and painted a soft white, with photos in sleek black frames dotting the walls. He could see into her living room and tried not to let his jaw drop at the magnificent modern white leather couch angled perfectly and deliberately off center to the massive television mounted to the wall. Feeling very self conscious of every speck of dirt on him, Ike kicked off his shoes and rolled the damp ends of his jeans up. She kept moving and he followed her inside, eyes roaming the artsy framed posters with silent awe.

"Your place is amazing," he finally managed to say. She shot him a smile and he stole another glance at the inviting couch before following her into the kitchen. The open floor plan allowed for someone to be in the kitchen and able to still see the television, and the marble topped counters gleamed brightly.

"The bathroom is right through here and please ignore the mess," she said sheepishly and Ike had to suppress a snort.

"Yeah, I have such high standards of cleanliness right now," he drawled sarcastically and she bit her lips together. Ike sighed and shook his head. "I was kidding, sorry I'm... you could have nothing but trash littered around your bathroom and I would hardly care."

"How long have you been homeless?" Zelda asked as they moved into her room. Once more Ike had to hide his reaction at seeing the ease of splendor on display. Aside from her bed being unmade the room looked like it was straight out of an interior design magazine. Thick wooden furniture stained a deep rich brown, a plush peach colored comforter, and various decorative pillows... he felt like if he looked at anything too long he'd ruin it. "Ike?" His name made him jump and he did his best to shrug it off.

"Time kinda all ran together on me, but its been a few months," he mumbled as he wondered if his socks were staining the soft white carpet.

"Do you have any family you want to call?" He hesitated in answering her, his mind moving over the only two family members he had. Yes, he should call his mother and sister, but he knew what would happen if they found out about him being homeless. They would want him to go home and he couldn't be a financial burden on them. Mist was in her last semester of college and he knew she was in no position to help, and his mother had already lost the house he had grown up in, putting her in an apartment barely big enough for the both of them.

"Maybe later," he offered in a noncommittal tone.

"Alright," she nodded as she opened a door. "The bathroom is right here. I've got towels, washcloths..." Ike just looked at the bathroom, unsurprisingly nice at this point, but still breathtaking. A large oval bathtub sat in one corner, a small side table beside it that had a book on top. In the other corner was a walk in shower that looked heavenly with clear glass walls and a massaging shower head. The counter that housed the sink was dotted with her makeup and perfume, an obvious order to the chaos. He dreaded the moment he locked eyes with himself in the mirror.

"Fuck," he couldn't help but let the expletive slip past his lips. He looked terrible. His usually short hair had become a tangled mess of blue that seemed tempted to touch his shoulders, his eyes were rimmed in dark circles so large and obvious he looked abused, and his slight stubble had become a beard that belonged on some pirate who's been at sea all his life. He shuddered and looked to Zelda warily. "I look terrifying, why the hell did you talk to me?"

"You don't look that bad," she admonished with a smile as she set a fluffy white towel and washcloth beside the sink. "I hope you don't mind the scent of cherry blossoms and apples, that's the only soap I have currently."

"That's fine," he shrugged and she stared at him for a moment. "What?"

"Well, I don't want to offend you, but I buy disposable razors so I have a spare if you want one and there's a new toothbrush behind the mirror." Ike looked to the mirror and eyed his long hair with disgust.

"You got a pair of scissors?"

XxX

All his supplies sat on the side of the sink while he peeled his damp shirt from his body. Zelda was waiting outside the door, having offered to wash all of his clothes at once. He eyed the loss of toned muscle on his body with a sigh. He had never been vain about getting a ridiculously defined and sculpted body, but losing the start of his six pack and the curve to his arms was another blow to his self confidence.

Shaking himself from the depressing spiral he unbuckled his belt and let his jeans hang on his hips. The way they slid down told him all he needed to know, as if the pangs of hunger he'd become used to ignoring weren't enough. Ike decided not to linger on it and pushed his boxers down, toeing his socks off carefully. Before he passed the clothes to Zelda he dug his battered wallet from the back pocket, embarrassed by the sight and weightlessness of it.

Wary enough to hide behind the door as he opened it, he caught sight of Zelda standing there with a pair of dark gray sweatpants and a black shirt. He raised an eyebrow and she smiled. "They're my friend's that's more like a brother," she explained as she held them out. "When he was dating his ex he used to crash here when they had a fight..." She trailed off and Ike would have had to have been beyond blind to miss her eyes travel down what she could see of his bare torso. She seemed to snap out of it and quickly shoved the clothes into his hands, somehow managing to grab his dirty ones easily.

"I'll get these going while you shower!" she said quickly as she turned to leave, but he caught the blush that stained her pale skin. Ike huffed in disbelief as he shut the door and set the clean clothes down. As he stepped over to the shower and turned the knobs he couldn't help but picture the way the blush had taken over her cheeks. A small grin made it's way to his lips.

"You should've seen me before this," he spoke softly to the empty bathroom.

XxX

Ike was normally a quiet sort in the shower. He never sang, never talked to himself, never practiced any speeches... but not that time. It had been well over a month since his second bag containing his shampoo and soap had been stolen, and not long after that the gym he had been sneaking into to shower had caught him and made double sure to lock their back door. So, that being his first time to be drenched in hot water and not freezing cold rain made him groan in appreciation.

He stayed still for a full minute, happily letting the muck wash away with just the hot water, before he bent to pick up the shampoo bottle from the tiled floor. He popped the cap open and poured a small amount into his palm, the viscous liquid pooling into a pearlescent off white. As he scrubbed his scalp he tried to focus on the motions and not think about how he came to be showering in a relative stranger's bathroom. As the bubbles cascaded down his chest he kept his breathing even, trying to remain calm.

He shampooed his hair twice before he finally felt as if it were clean, and decided to go ahead and use her conditioner as well. From there he moved on to using the wash cloth and her soap, a groan of pure bliss leaving his lips as he felt himself begin to be clean. He focused on that sensation alone, determined to keep his mind off of his past.

As the last of the bubbles swirled down the drain Ike shut off the water and stepped onto the absorbent mat, finally feeling like he wasn't dirty enough to ruin it. He moved to the mirror and used the towel to clear away the steam that had gathered there, coming face to face with himself once more.

He wrapped the towel around his waist tightly before he turned the taps. Her shaving cream smelled like some fruity flowery mixture, the scent assaulted his nose as he smeared it across his face. He raised the razor to his cheek and drug it down slowly, feeling it catch and pull. The pain focused him, reminded him that he had to recognize himself. He needed that if nothing more.

Once his cheeks were free of all stubble he rinsed the blade and set it aside. The scissors were heavier than they looked, and he wondered briefly if he shouldn't do this. He caught a glance of his hair in the mirror and that decided it. Balancing the trash can she had placed beside the toilet on the edge of the sink, Ike raised the scissors to his hair and snipped.

XxX

Zelda heard the shower start and quickly moved to the small laundry room attached to her kitchen. She dropped his dirty clothes in and moved to his backpack she had seen him drop by the door. She took it to the washing machine and unzipped it carefully. Three shirts, all threadbare, followed two ratty pairs of jeans. Socks and boxers joined them, all of them looking like they may disintegrate in the cold water.

She reached the bottom of the bag and hesitated, the battered looking envelope there tempting her. Zelda bit her lips together in contemplation. She knew she had no right to see what he had in the envelope, knew it down to the very core of her being. Her curiosity was killing her as she pulled it from the bag and set it on her counter unopened. That done she tossed the bag in along with his ratty jacket, added the detergent, turned the knobs, and started the wash.

The takeout places she loved always gave her menus and she kept them in the drawer beside her cutlery. As she opened it and rummaged around for the right one she heard the shower turn off. That surprised her. She had expected him to shower for much longer. Then she thought of the razor and scissors, and her mind wandered to picturing how he would look when he emerged from her bathroom.

Silently she admonished herself and continued to dig for the menu. After finding it she let out a triumphant whoop and opened it. She loved their sesame chicken, but they also made a delicious chicken teriyaki...

"Your friend is tiny." Ike's voice made her jump and she whirled around. Her retort died on her lips as she took in the sight before her. Ike was standing in the entryway of her kitchen, clad only in his borrowed sweatpants. He had the shirt gripped in his hand, and when he shifted his weight, pulling himself into a vague military pose, she almost whined at the sight.

It was obvious there was once more muscle to his body, and she'd bet a months salary that he had had at least a half decent six pack before being homeless. He was still fairly well toned and she had to admit it was hard to look away from his torso. Her eyes finally traveled up to his and she felt her jaw drop. Gone was the beard, exposing the smooth face she had never seen without stubble. His hair... He looked damn good with it short.

"I'm sorry they don't fit you," she said quickly as she blushed and looked down at the menu in her hands to avoid eye contact. "Link is rather thin, but I had hoped they would be alright for now-"

"I'm not complaining," he cut her off quickly and she glanced up at him, seeing how nervous he looked. "I just... The sweats barely fit and I couldn't get my arm into the sleeve past my elbow." She stared in awe as her eyes raked down his body again, not missing the way he blushed. Even from the space that separated them she could see the thin lines of white tiny scars on his arms that dotted his skin, and the pink near perfect circle from a bullet near the edge of his right shoulder.

Remembering that she was just staring at the man, Zelda quickly held out the takeout menu. "Find something that sounds good. I recommend the sesame chicken or the teriyaki chicken, those are my favorites but feel free to pick whatever."

"You know you don't have to-"

"I know that," she cut him off with a smile. He nodded and silently studied the menu for a moment, leaving Zelda in the awkward position of either just staring at him or pretending to find busy work to do in her spotless kitchen. "Oh," she snapped her fingers and motioned to the shut door of the laundry area, "your clothes, jacket, and bag are in the wash and I set that over there." She pointed at the envelope and he eyed it for a moment before looking at her.

"Did you look in it?" he asked and she shook her head.

"Its not my business unless you want it to be."

"Well," he moved around her and picked up the envelope. She watched him pop it open, her curiosity rising. He plucked three photos from inside and then pulled out a long chain she immediately recognized as dog tags. "Obviously these are mine," he said as he handed the tags over. "And these are the photos I took with me overseas. Here's Mom and Mist, my little sister, me and my best friends from high school, and the last one I outta toss but it's me and my ex." He held them out and Zelda hesitated.

"You don't have to-"

"I know," he said with a little grin, echoing her words. She took the photos and looked at them, a smile coming to her lips at the woman with hair that matched Ike's sitting on a worn couch with a young pretty woman. She looked at the next one and let out a little laugh. Ike was young but still built, standing in the middle of some hallway in a school beside a blonde boy and another boy with shaggy dark blue hair. She hesitated before looking at the last one, but her curiosity won her over. The last photo showed Ike in his fatigues, his arm slung around the shoulders of a beautiful woman with flowing blonde hair and bright blue eyes. His ex was beautiful, and Zelda suddenly found herself wondering if she compared to the beauty.

Before she could say anything about any of them Ike took the one with his ex and tossed it in her trash can.

"As for food," he said in the silence, "I could honestly care less. Whatever you think is good I'll eat. I've never been picky as long as it has meat." She nodded and began dialing the number, nodding towards her couch.

"Go sit, we can find something to watch while we wait." As he moved to the couch and the call connected a weird sense of peace enveloped Zelda. This, having someone there, she could get used to.

XXX

Sorry that everyone seemed to think this was a one shot, it's not. I just had to start the story because it wouldn't leave my brain alone. I intend to finish up my other stories, have no fear, I can't explain how or why my brain works the way it does but it's honestly just inconvenient for everyone involved. Please let me know what you think. Much love, Leigh


	3. Chapter 3

The couch felt better than it looked. Ike sank into the surprisingly plush leather with an appreciative groan as Zelda placed the order for dinner. He watched her move around the kitchen as she talked, liking the way she laughed at whatever the other person said. Her nose crinkled a little with her mirth, her cerulean eyes lit up, and Ike realized just how damn lucky he was that she had found him.  
Her gaze moved his way and Ike quickly lowered his eyes to the too tight black shirt in his hands. He fiddled with a loose string by the sleeve, trying his best to ignore the burning sensation of eyes on him. He wasn't an idiot, he caught her staring at him earlier, and he wondered if her motives were completely innocent like she presented. Did she just want to help or was he getting himself into something he didn't want?  
Ike shook his head at his thoughts, chastising himself and that line of thinking. He had really spent too much time listening to the rumored horror stories the other homeless people passed around. Zelda was, to put it mildly, a petite young woman. If he got a bad vibe at any point he could easily walk out of there no problem. His mind flicked to his ex and he wondered if some of his trust issues didn't stem from her actions.  
"Alright," Zelda spoke up and he turned his attention back to her, "the food will be here in about thirty minutes..." She trailed off and Ike saw how hard she was thinking in the way her brow creased. It was adorable, and he felt a grin come to his lips before a coughing fit took over.  
"Sorry," he managed between what felt like his body trying to expel his lungs.  
"I uh, have some medicine that might work. It's just over the counter but-"  
"Yeah," he wheezed out and listened to the sound of her retreating footsteps as he tried to catch his breath. His chest hurt, as did his stomach and throat from coughing so much. He wasn't sure what was wrong, but he was certain that the cough medicine would not even make a difference.  
"Here," Zelda stood before him, the dark red bottle open in her hands. The dinky plastic measuring cup shook in his hand as he grabbed it and the bottle from her. He poured a touch more than the suggested dosage and downed the foul liquid in one gulp.  
"God," he frowned as he lowered the cup, "those people have obviously never had a cherry." She laughed as she took the medicine and cup from him. The light laugh warmed a part of Ike's heart and he quickly squashed it down.  
"So..." she looked nervous as she set the medicine and cup on her counter. "Okay I'm not the best hostess and I'm sorry about that." A self deprecating laugh left her lips and ike shrugged.  
"You're the only person who's even bothered to say a word to me in days, I could care less about being entertained or whatever. I'm sitting on the most comfortable couch, you let me shower, gave me medicine, have ordered food... now's the time to say you really brought me in for harvesting my organs I feel like I owe you."  
"Ike!" She laughed and shook her head. "That's ridiculous I would never."  
"Well you wouldn't here, you'd ruin the flooring." He smirked at her and she snorted.  
"Yes because my floors are what I really care about. If it weren't for them I'd be having roast Ike over rice." She stuck her tongue out and he chuckled.  
"Oh so that's the end game! Fatten me up a bit and then eat me?"  
"Goddesses," she laughed as she took a seat on the couch near him. "We both have a morbid sense of humor."  
"We make quite a pair eh?"

XxX  
For the first time in a very long time Zelda's apartment was filled with laughter. Ike's anecdotes about the show she picked make her howl and before the food even arrived her side was hurting. He was funny and sweet, easily made apparent in the way he refused to let her do anything else for him. He carried the food to the counter, hunted down glasses to pour her favorite lemonade into, and together they sat on the couch. They weren't side by side but they sat close and she felt the heat on her cheeks when he moaned lightly over the sight of food.  
"Do you want a fork?" she asked him belatedly, her chopsticks already pinching a bite of chicken.  
"Nah I'm good," he somehow managed to get out around the bite in his mouth. A laugh left her lips at the sight of him with a cheek bulging with food. His eyes narrowed at that and she innocently responded with a lift of her eyebrow.  
"So," she started warily after a moment, wanting information on him but nervous to upset him.  
"You've got questions." It wasn't a question, and she would swear that her one word made a tension fall between them.  
"Yeah, if you don't mind answering them that is."  
"Fire away." He picked up the glass of lemonade and took a few big gulps. She took the moment to organize her thoughts.  
"I guess I don't get it. Why aren't you staying with family or friends?"  
"My mom and sister live together in a tiny apartment. Mom lost the house after dad died and I know things are tight for them right now. If I called her and told her everything she'd help but it would end up costing her too much. My friends... Marth is off globe trotting with his business and the others are still overseas. Cloud isn't but he just got married to the girl of his dreams and I can't impose on that." Zelda smiled a little at that, understanding his reasons.  
"What about veteran assistance? Don't they have something set up?"  
"No," he shook his head and jabbed at the chicken in the container. "There's a few others like me out there, but they're from older generations. There's no program to help once you're out of the military. It sucks but that's how it is."  
"So you're kinda stuck..." she trailed off and he took another bite. The way he shut his eyes and looked so pleased didn't escape her notice and she suddenly realized that this was not going to be a one night thing. How could she send him back out into the cold?  
"What do you do for Peach?" His question pulled her from her musings and she rolled her eyes as she began to explain.

XxX  
Ike was full of surprises. Zelda couldn't help but be amazed at his suggestions to help at her work. He was the first person to ever actually listen to her complaints about work without interrupting from boredom. By the time they had finished eating the television was forgotten as they discussed everything from favorite foods to awkward breakups.  
"So yeah, walking into my apartment expecting to see my girlfriend waiting on me and finding her bent over in the kitchen with a different dude kinda takes the cake for me," he said with a wince. "Sure made the sting of my tenth grade girlfriend breaking up with me in front of the whole team seem less damaging."  
"That is awful," Zelda shook her head in disgust. "My worst one was this guy we'd been dating for a few months and he just sent a text saying we should see other people. Not ten minutes later his profile status had changed and there were two or three new photos posted of him with different chicks from nights he told me he was working late..."  
"People suck," Ike said with a sigh. "That's one thing being homeless has taught me. People are complete assholes when they think they're above you. I got shot overseas and come back to my girl getting fucked in my kitchen and people sneering at me because I have no roof over my head."  
"Well," Zelda tapped the side of her glass with her nail, "honestly that doesn't change whether you're homeless or the assistant to one of the most respected designers in the world. I'm lesser than them and you have no idea how many times a day they like to remind me of that. The other designers, the models especially..." She trailed off and met Ike's slight frown with a sad smile. "You should see the behind the scenes of a fashion show with bitchy models. They're all too happy to point out all my flaws as I race around trying to make everything work."  
"Ignore them. You're better than all of them combined." Ike stood up with a sigh. "You're the only person to show me any sort of kindness since my girlfriend paused her sex long enough to let me pack up two bags." He left the living room then, his empty glass and takeout container in his hands. Zelda watched him toss the container, her heart breaking once more for him.  
"Do you want me to put this glass in the dishwasher or what?"  
"Yeah, I'll probably run it tomorrow." She stood up and followed him into the kitchen. After setting down her things from dinner she went to the washing machine and opened it up.  
"I can get those-"  
"I've got it," she chided as she tossed the damp clothes into the dryer. "You should pick out a movie. Nothing that makes me cry though, I look so awful when I cry."  
"Well gee there goes my top choices," he said with a dramatic sigh. "What about an action flick? Big booms? Flashy cars?"  
"Sure," Zelda laughed and shook her head as she shut the dryer and started it up. She glanced at Ike, admitting to herself that he looked pretty damn good lounging shirtless on her couch. With a shake of her head she opened her freezer and pulled out a pint of cookie dough ice cream and grabbed two spoons from the drawer. As she joined him on the couch he gave the ice cream a look and then raised an eyebrow at her.  
"I'll share if I like what you pick." She stuck out her tongue and he chuckled. The deep noise made a shudder run down her spine in the most pleasant way and she hid it by adjusting herself a touch closer. "What did you find?"

XxX  
Ike wasn't exactly sure what happened. One minute he was starting the latest super hero film, sharing the pint of ice cream, and somehow after they had finished it she had ended up with her head on his bare shoulder... it had been so nice he wanted to savor the sensation for as long as possible. The next thing he knew he was waking up alone on her couch, a warm blanket stretched over his tall form.  
Panic filled Ike as he stood up, his eyes hunting the near darkness. She hadn't said specifically that he was allowed to sleep on her couch and he worried that she might be upset to find him there in the morning. If her generosity had run it's course and she decided to call the police he had no defense.  
With those thoughts swirling around his mind he ran to the dryer and pulled all of his belongings out. He stripped off the borrowed sweatpants and dressed swiftly, his chest heaving with panic. The second he had his socks on he bolted to the door and shoved his shoes on his feet. After a longing look at the framed photo of Zelda smiling in front of some landmark he opened the door and stepped out into the snow.

XxX  
The alarm blared in Zelda's ear and she slapped her phone with a groan to make it stop. Then she sat up quickly as the night before came to mind. Ike had fallen asleep on her couch mid movie and she had let herself sit there for a moment longer before getting up and grabbing him her favorite blanket. He had barely made a noise when she eased him down on the couch and for that she was thankful.  
Curious to see how her houseguest was doing, she tiptoed from her bedroom to the living room. The discarded blanket made her hesitate. "Ike?" she called his name warily. Her eyes went immediately to the kitchen and her heart sank. The sweatpants were folded and sitting on the counter. "Dammit."  
As fast as she could Zelda dressed for the cold and left her apartment. She told herself that he could not have gotten that far while simultaneously wondering why he had left. Had she said something? Done something?  
Her first stop was the alley she normally found him. Finding it empty she whirled and tried to think like Ike. He had mentioned that it was dangerous to stay in one spot once it got near opening time. Stores and shops called the cops quickly as they feared either a robbery or scaring off customers. So where would he be?  
A rattling cough made Zelda turn around. There he was across the street, walking slowly and trying to use the overhanging building art as a shield from the elements. "Ike Greil!" she shouted his name in exasperation and he froze.  
"What are you doing out here?" he asked as she made her away across the thankfully empty intersection.  
"Looking for you!" She smacked him lightly on the shoulder and he turned his head to cough into his elbow. "Ike," she sighed his name before running a gloved hand up and down his back.  
"Sorry," he gasped as he stopped coughing. "I'm also sorry I fell asleep last night. I wasn't invited in for that and I didn't mean to take advantage of your hospitality I-"  
"I wanted you to stay! It was implied when I covered you up!" Zelda shook her head and looped an arm through his. "Come on."  
"Now where are you taking me?" he asked wearily and she rolled her eyes.  
"To the clinic. We're getting that cough checked out."  
"Zelda I can't. I don't have money and a doctor visit costs a lot more than an order of takeout."  
"Don't worry Ike, my friend works there."

XxX  
"Who is this guy to you?" Link asked the second they stepped from the exam room. Zelda shrugged and looked at the shut door that muffled Ike's coughing.  
"He's a homeless veteran that saved me from getting hit by a car. He stayed on my couch last night-"  
"Zelda! Are you serious?! That's incredibly stupid! You don't know this guy he-"  
"Left before I woke up because I didn't expressly state he could sleep on the couch? Link, he's as harmless as it gets." Link furrowed his dark blonde brows and sighed.  
"You're insane for taking him in, you realize that right? He could be dangerous."  
"I couldn't just leave him out in the cold Link! Look at him! Listen to that cough and tell me you could ignore him after he saved your life. Can you?" Link hesitated a minute before shaking his head.  
"He's malnourished and dehydrated, and that cough is from the early stages of pneumonia. If you hadn't brought him in he'd be hospitalized in a day or two. We've caught it and I can write a few prescriptions, but he needs to stay indoors for the next few days."  
"Write the prescriptions," Zelda said firmly and Link nodded.  
"Wait wait wait, he stayed over? Did he... Zelda I swear to Nayru if he stretched out my shirt-"  
"It didn't fit him it's fine." Link laughed and shook his head before opening the door to the exam room.

XxX  
Ike was dumbfounded as Zelda shoved him onto her couch. She tossed several prescription bottles down beside him and let out a heavy sigh. "Link said you need to stay inside while this medicine takes affect."  
"I'll figure it out, no worries." He tried to stay positive and not show that he knew he had nowhere to be indoors. "Look it'll take me some time but I'm going to pay you back for this-"  
"Why don't you just stay here?" She whirled around and Ike froze. "Don't leave, don't go back out into the snow because I didn't expressly state that I want you to stay. I'm saying it now Ike Greil," she crouched down and brought her face close to his, "I want you to stay." Ike's heart hammered in his chest at her words.  
"Zelda... I'm not... I can't-"  
"Why not?" She put her hands on her hips and Ike chewed on his bottom lip. "I want you to stay here with me. I'm offering you my couch, use of my bathroom and kitchen, hell I'll give you half the damn closet!"  
'Zelda-"  
"Just stay here Ike. Be safe, be warm, get to feeling better..." She trailed off and Ike was overcome with the urge to hug her. He felt like he didn't deserve this. She didn't owe him anything to begin with and now this? He wanted to argue, to protest her doing more, but there was a determined set to her expression that told him it was futile.  
"I won't be a burden Zelda I promise," he vowed to her and the stressed look on her face vanished. "I'll help clean and cook... whatever you need."  
"So you'll stay? No more waking up to an empty couch?"  
"I'll stay." With that she surprised Ike by hugging him tightly. He chuckled in shock as he carefully wrapped his arms around her body, trying not to notice how good it felt to hold her.

XXX  
Chapter 3 down! I adore pushy Zelda getting what she wants and Ike kind of just going with it. What did you think? Like it? Love it? Hate it? Let me know! Much love, Leigh


	4. Chapter 4

Calling out from work was not exactly something Zelda did on a regular basis. She loved her job despite the chaos and the rude people, so the thought of just taking a day never crossed her mind. When she called Peach to inform her she was taking the day the designer went overboard with her concern, making the assistant smile.

"You didn't need to call out," Ike grumbled from her couch. Zelda looked over at him, loving the sight of him wrapped up in her blanket and laying down. He was tall and took up the whole couch, but something about the whole image just made a warmth spread through her.

"I know you're not helpless if that's what you're trying to say," she started as she leaned her elbows against her counter, "but it makes me feel better to be here."

"I like you being here," he said before a cough roughly escaped his throat. "I would be freaked out the whole time that you're calling the cops saying I broke in."

"I wouldn't do that to you." She rolled her eyes as she straightened up. "I'm going to make some soup for you, an old family recipe. It's always helped me feel better when I'm sick."

"You don't have to but if you want to I'd love some." She watched as his eyes slowly slid shut and shook her head, amused.

XxX

Ike sat one the couch, unsure exactly what he was looking at. Zelda hovered above him, her smile far too happy for what she had placed in his lap. The bowl of chicken noodle soup, an old family recipe, did not look appetizing.

Warily Ike picked up the spoon and dipped it into the broth, trying to hide his grimace. Not once in his life had he seen a chicken noodle soup with such a bizarre browned broth. It had been awhile since he'd had chicken noodle soup sure, but there was no way whatever he was about to raise to his lips was it.

He cut his eyes to her once more and noted the way she stood there nervously and he knew, no matter how awful it tasted, he was going to lie. With that in place he raised the spoon and took a bite, choking back a cough at the abundance of pepper and some other seasoning attacking his tastebuds.

"How is it?" Zelda's voice made him cringe internally and he schooled his features into a happy smile.

"It's great," he lied as he dipped the spoon in to get another bite. "What's all in this?"

"Well chicken, chicken stock, I didn't have fresh vegetables so frozen ones, some spices..." she trailed off and Ike nodded as he raised a bite of definitely overcooked chicken to his lips. "My mom used to make it for me all the time growing up. Whenever I needed comfort she made it. I don't uh... Honestly I don't cook much so I wasn't sure if I did it right."

"I think you should definitely cook more." Ike tried to say it like a compliment and felt a wave of relief when she beamed at him. It felt awful lying to her, but he could just see how it would crush her if he admitted it was terrible. Besides that he went from picking at questionable food left in dumpsters and trash cans to a badly cooked soup made just for him and he reasoned the thought counted more than the execution.

With that he decided to grit his teeth and gulp it down as she poured the soup into a container for storage.

XxX

Zelda was running late and she blamed Ike. Well, that wasn't fair. He was just curled up on her couch passed out like a wonderful mix of adorable and sexy and she had made herself fall behind schedule by watching him. But she blamed him. She rushed from her spot in the kitchen back into her room and slipped on her boots before going back out into the kitchen and moving to her coffee maker.

As she started the machine she opened the fridge for her creamer and froze at the sight of the soup. Ike had said he loved it and it had definitely been steadily decreasing in the container, so she decided to take some with her to work. Judging by the emails she had already received she was in for a rough day and only having to step away to heat up lunch would be better than leaving.

The coffee machine beeped and Zelda pulled both the soup and creamer from the fridge. She poured and stirred the creamer with practiced ease before chancing a glance at the still sleeping Ike. With a smile she got out a travel bowl and filled it with the soup, trying to remember if it was ever that dark when her mom had made it.

XxX

As Zelda listened on the phone to the director of the fashion show drone on and on about how much she couldn't wait to see what Peach had designed she warmed up the soup.

"Yes Peach has been doing some incredible things," Zelda cut in finally when the woman took a breath. "And I promise I will get the finalized list of how many items as soon as possible." She listened for a minute more as she pulled the soup from the microwave. The woman could and would go on for hours, the praise falling on deaf ears.

"I'll be sure to let Peach know," Zelda managed to slip in as she walked back to her desk with the bowl of soup balanced delicately in her hands. She reclaimed her seat and rolled her eyes as she pulled up her email on the computer.

Absent-mindedly Zelda dipped her spoon into the soup and raised it to her lips, rolling her eyes at the obvious ass kissing director probably hoping for some goodies. She blew a soft stream of air over the steaming soup and smiled to herself as she thought of Ike most likely eating his own bowl by now. Smile still in place she took a bite.

Her eyes widened and Zelda immediately spat it back out, coughing up a storm. "Goddesses," she breathed around another cough, "how did I burn soup?" After profusely apologizing for coughing into the phone Zelda vowed to nag Ike for lying to her.

XxX

After a week of resting and taking his various medicines Ike felt better than he had in a long time. He woke up to Zelda trying to be stealthy as she made her morning coffee. The sight of her walking around carefully and mumbling a curse word when the coffee machine beeped made him laugh and she whirled in surprise.

"Sorry! Did I wake you?" she asked and he shook his head.

"Just woke up on my own." He sat up and stretched, his eyes falling to the faded scars that littered his body. Growing up for him had been anything but easy, but he wouldn't change a thing. His eyes flicked to Zelda as she poured an ungodly amount of cream into her travel mug and he realized that the week of resting and healing seemed worth the months of homelessness. If she kicked him out now that he was better he wouldn't blame her and he would carry the memories with him for the rest of his life.

"I'm not sure if you're tired of my awful attempt at chicken noodle soup or not yet," she said and he chuckled, "so I'm going to leave a few rupees on the counter. There's take out menus in the drawer, just find something you like and order it on my laptop."

"Okay," he nodded and she moved into the living room with her travel mug in hand. "How's the schedule for today?"

"Ugh," she groused as she sat beside him to slip on her warm looking boots. "I've already got the planning committee for the fashion show breathing down my neck, and the fabric Peach really wants to use on this limited line is not only incredibly expensive and irreplaceable, it's stuck in customs so I've got to fight them on it today."

"You'll get it, I know you will." She smiled at him for that and he tried to ignore the way it made his chest feel warm.

"I'll be back after work... Bye." Their goodbyes when she left had begun to feel awkward to him. He could almost swear it felt like she wanted a hug and he was more than willing to offer one, but he wasn't sure. His past relationship had seriously skewed what he thought he knew and the last thing he wanted was to do something wrong with Zelda and make her regret taking him in.

"Stay warm, you're never too busy for lunch, and-"

"And don't pull out my phone while walking." They shared a laugh at that and Ike shook his head. She leaned towards him and instinctively his arm went around her shoulders. He tensed slightly until he felt her relax against his side. They sat that way for a silent moment until she stood up. "I'll be back before you know it."

With that she left and Ike stared at nothing as he tried to think of something to do for her to show her that he appreciated everything. Taking him in, feeding him, getting him to a doctor... He couldn't pay her back in money at that moment but maybe a small gesture of appreciation would show her how much it meant to him.

XxX

Zelda felt like a super hero as she presented Peach with her long awaited fabric. The fight at customs had been intense but she had prevailed. The fashion show would have it's stunning centerpiece and that was what mattered to her boss.

"Zelda you're a goddess!" Peach shrieked as she leapt from behind her desk littered with fabric swatches and pink picture frames.

"I'll send over the sketches for approval immediately." Zelda smiled as she turned on her heel, mind already on the dozen other things she needed to get done.

"Quick question!" Peach called out and Zelda half turned. "Did you get a boyfriend you're hiding from me?"

"What?" Zelda asked while her heart sped up.

"You're coming in with a smile on your face now and leaving in more of a rush... seems fishy to me." Peach shot her a wink and Zelda laughed nervously. How could she say that she had a homeless veteran living on her couch and he made every day better? That going home even if he was asleep made her heart soar? If she said it out loud she was afraid that would solidify her confusing emotions, and that's something she was not ready to handle.

"I've uh, met someone but he's not a boyfriend." It wasn't exactly the truth, but it wasn't a lie. She had met Ike and he wasn't her boyfriend... the way she worded it was just very misleading.

"Girl if you keep coming in here smiling like you have I suggest getting that man locked down into a relationship."

"I'll keep that in mind Peach," Zelda said around a nervous laugh as she left the office.

XxX

The smell of cooked food made Zelda freeze in the entry way of her apartment. "Hey!" Ike greeted her immediately in the narrow hallway, a grin on his lips that made her feel relaxed. "How was work?"

"I got everything done and Peach was happy. A-are you cooking?"

"Yeah I made dinner," he said with a shrug as he moved forward to help her out of her coat. "You left me twenty rupees and I just thought that instead of some premade meal why not make something we can both hopefully enjoy?"

"Oh Ike you didn't need to-"

"I wanted to." She smiled a little at that and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I woke up feeling better than I have in a long time and figured the walk to the little market would do me good. Come on."

They walked to her seldom used table and Zelda felt her jaw drop as she saw the pan seared chicken, some sort of rice dish, and a delicious looking mix of steamed vegetables. "You did all this with what I left here?" she asked incredulously and he chuckled.

"You really don't cook much huh?"

"Not really... usually I'm too busy with work to have time and well, you tasted my chicken noodle soup I'm not the best cook."

"I kind of grew up cooking. Mom loved doing it and showed me the basics at a young age which ended up being really useful when my dad died. She would barely get out of bed so I had to take care of her, Mist, and myself." Her heart ached for him as he pulled out the chair for her to sit down.

"Ike I'm sorry," she said gently as she took the offered seat, noting how he shrugged it off.

"I'd do anything to keep the people I care about safe." He sat across from her and Zelda couldn't help but feel the date vibes this arrangement gave off. "Anyway," he flashed her a smile and raised his glass of iced tea, "I did this as a way of saying thank you. You've done more for me than I could have ever dared to hope, and I promise you that I will pay you back. It's gonna take me some time but I swear I will."

"Ike-"

"I mean it." He was so serious about it she could do little more than nod. "And I'm feeling completely better now so..." He took a deep breath and she leaned across the table. His words died on his lips as she took his empty hand and squeezed it gently.

"I want you to stay here with me Ike. I don't want you to go unless you want to. I'm not kicking you out, I'm not tired of you being here... stay Ike, please?"

"You want me to stay?" His voice was filled with a raw hope that made tears spring to Zelda's eyes. Wary of betraying her emotions she settled on a nod and watched as a previously unnoticed stress left his shoulders. "Okay, if you're sure."

"I love having you here. It's nice to come home and have someone to talk to, eat with, and watch trash tv with." He grinned at that and Zelda felt his fingers squeeze hers. "Now let's eat this amazing food you made!" She withdrew her hand from his and tried to ignore how she missed the rough warmth as he picked up his knife.

XxX

Ike chuckled at the lame joke made by the late show host, truly happy for the very first time in months. He had a home. A real, official, not for the night home. It wasn't a cold dirty alley, wasn't the shelter with the odd smells he didn't want to think about, but an amazing apartment. He glanced at Zelda as she typed on her phone, a ghost of a grin on his lips.

He had a roommate. The woman who refused to listen to reason had offered him her own home and he couldn't be more grateful. He'd get a job as soon as possible and help pay whatever bills he could.

She looked up from her phone and gave him a warm smile. "My doctor friend was asking about you. I told him you were feeling better and he's glad." He nodded and turned his attention back to the television, swallowing a lump in his throat.

How long would this last? How long would she be single and able to house him? Any man would take issue with him shacking up with her, and then what? Ike shut his eyes tightly and tried to calm the wave of panic. He could worry about that later.

As Zelda laid her head on his shoulder and curled into his side he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He tried to keep his voice steady when he opened his mouth. "I'm gonna job hunt tomorrow. There's got to be a lot of places hiring for at least seasonal help this time of year."

"I'd recommend getting some new clothes then," she said cheekily as she poked his bare skin through a rip in his jeans. "I'll call out tomorrow and we can go shopping. I get some freebies from working for Peach but I could also use some new stuff."

"You don't-" she cut off his words by pressing her finger to his lips.

"I want to. Now, let's watch this boring interview."

Ike nodded and tried to ignore how her finger lingered on his lips. When she pulled it away he let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding and whispered to her. "You can tell they don't get along, he's usually much more enthusiastic."

"I hear she's a bitch to work with," Zelda whispered back. "She was a model before acting became her thing. Peach always refused to work with her. She is pretty though."

"That's a matter of opinion," he fired back honestly. "She's not that attractive to me."

"She was voted hottest woman last year!" Zelda exclaimed incredulously and he shrugged.

"Well my vote wouldn't have gone to her." Zelda laughed and shook her head. She settled back down and Ike absent-mindedly rubbed his thumb on her arm. He hoped to have plenty of evenings just like that.

XXX

How was that? I hope you all enjoyed. Thank you everyone for reviewing, it means the world to me. The notifications make my day. Let me know what you think! Much love, Leigh


	5. Chapter 5

"No." It was a firm statement from the blue haired man and Zelda couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"You can't just wear jeans and a worn out shirt to an interview Ike."

"Yeah but I don't need to act like peacock to get a job either." With that he grabbed the admittedly very vibrantly colored dress shirt from her hands and shoved it back on the rack roughly. Zelda lingered for a moment, truly thinking the bright, almost neon red would look good on him.

"What colors do you like?" She moved around a few racks as she asked. Her eyes found Ike pulling a plain white button down from the clearance section and she resisted the urge to sigh.

"Basic colors are just fine," he responded absently as he held up his obvious choice. She nodded in defeat and he gave her a tiny smirk as he tucked it under his arm.

XxX

Ike felt like a million bucks as he tried on the black slacks and white button down shirt. Zelda may have frowned at the generic look of it on the hanger, but on him he felt it looked right. As he opened the dressing room door he ran a hand through his spikey hair and kept his eyes on Zelda. Her jaw dropped and that made him smirk internally.

"What do you think?" He turned around in a slow circle before facing her again.

"Okay," she admitted with a nod, "with your hair color you make the white shirt look great."

"Told you," he said with a wink. "I'll get dressed and we can get out of here."

"Do you want to get some more clothes?"

"Nah I'll be fine with this for now." He shut the door and dressed quickly, unsurprised when she immediately hauled him over to the casual clothes and demanded he pick up a few things. Ike hated shopping almost as much as he hated the idea of her spending any more money on him, but having her hand on his arm for every little thing made it all seem worth it.

XxX

Zelda may have gone overboard buying things. She couldn't help herself. Ike had next to nothing and everything she made him try on just looked so good. His new clothes filled three large bags and hers filled two smaller ones when they finally left the busy shopping area. As they walked she looped her arm through his and leaned against him, making the blue haired man chuckle as they dodged around other people.

"I'm getting hungry," she declared as they came to a stop at a crosswalk. "What should we eat today?"

"Are you sure we haven't spent enough?" he fired back with a look of disbelief.

"Come on Ike, I told you it's fine. Now I'm thinking we try that new bistro a few streets over. Peach was raving about it the other day-"

"Anything with the word bistro in it is overpriced and too fancy. I'm a simple man who likes simple food." He winked at her and started walking again.

"The what would suit the tastes of my simple man?" The words left her lips and she cringed. She didn't mean it to sound like she thought of them as a couple or she considered him to be hers in any way.

"A damn good burger," Ike replied without missing a beat and she felt a wave of relief. "There's this place a little further down I used to eat at all the time. Since they don't do deliveries I'm going to guess you've never eaten there."

"Ha ha." She nudged him with her elbow and off they went towards Ike's lunch suggestion. A cold wind blew down the street and they both shuddered. Ike pulled his arm from hers and wrapped it around her shoulders. A blush crawled up Zelda's cheeks when he pulled her close and pressed a kiss to her temple.

"You don't know how much what you've done means to me." The words were spoken so low she wondered if she was meant to hear them. After mulling it over for a moment she decided to acknowledge them by slipping her arm around his waist.

XxX

"Ike?" The female voice questioning his name came from behind Zelda's chair and she looked up at Ike to see him tense. "Oh my god it's been ages! Hi!"

"Tina," Ike's voice came out in such a cold tone that Zelda immediately knew who was behind her. He had never said her name before, but she had to be his ex. A frown worked itself onto her lips and she turned to look up at the woman.

She was the beautiful busty blonde woman from the photo in his bag, and Zelda hated her more in person. Her blonde hair swished around her shoulders as she shook it and Zelda had an evil moment of noting that it wasn't naturally blonde.

"What are you up to?" Tina asked as she popped out a hip, giving Zelda and Ike a flash of her corset top peeking out from under her jacket.

"What does it look like?" Ike practically spat the words and Zelda's eyes moved back to him.

"It looks like you're on a date and have forgotten your manners," Tina drawled and Ike's eyes flashed. Tina turned her attention to Zelda and the brunette felt herself getting sized up. "Hi, I'm Tina, Ike's ex girlfriend." She stuck out a manicured hand. "I'm sure he's mentioned me."

"Once in passing," Zelda fired back with a saccharine smile. The blonde narrowed her eyes and Zelda took the opportunity to shake her hand.

"Look Tina," Ike's voice drew both of their attention to him, "I'd lie and say it's nice to see you again but as you can clearly see Zelda and I were having a great conversation before you arrived so-"

"I'd like to catch up sometime Ike... talk about things." Tina batted her lashes at him and Zelda felt a jealous surge of frustration.

"I loved you Tina, you made your choices, I've made mine, and we have nothing left to discuss. Have a good life." The blonde huffed and crossed her arms. "Was I not clear?" Ike's voice was somehow even colder and the two stared each other down for a long moment. Zelda couldn't help but stare at Ike during the silent conversation. Gone was the homeless man that had hung his head in shame. There wasn't a trace of self loathing in the way he held her gaze and Zelda was proud of him.

"Whatever," Tina rolled her eyes and turned to leave. "I'll tell Brad you said hi." With that she was gone and Zelda witnessed the steady look in Ike's eyes falter.

"Hey," she reached across the table and took his shaking hand in her own. "Talk to me."

"I used to think I could spend my life with her," he whispered. Zelda squeezed his hand and finally he looked up at her.

"You did the right thing and did it well," she spoke seriously. "You're better off without her in your life." His eyes roamed over her face before moving to her hand holding his. Feeling self conscious, Zelda tried to move her hand but he caught it and kissed her fingers gently.

"Thank you for being so cryptic, it pissed her off." He grinned and Zelda felt herself returning it. He lowered their joined hands to the tabletop once more and she felt incredibly happy when he continued to hold her hand until their food arrived.

XxX

Zelda watched Ike with a smile as he put his new clothes in the closet. He was whistling as he moved, oblivious to his audience. She sat on her bed and blushed as she realized what was happening to her. Somewhere between bumping into him on the sidewalk and holding his hand as they ran across the street after lunch she had developed a crush on him.

He brightened her life in a way she didn't know she needed. Ike had been the exact shake up to her almost robotic routine she hadn't known she craved. He was witty and caring, not to mention that he was easily the most handsome man she had ever had the privilege to lay eyes on.

"Alright," he turned and gave her a low bow, "my queen can place her purchases away now."

She laughed at him and shook her head, trying to dislodge the feelings she knew were building. He didn't need her to be crushing on him right now. He needed a roof which she had happily provided and he needed a friend. The last thing she wanted was to let her feelings get the best of her and ruin the situation for both of them.

"Hey," Ike's voice cut through the fog her head had become and she found him standing before her, "you okay?"

"Yeah," she lied with a smile as she grabbed one of the bags containing her clothes. "I'm feeling exhausted suddenly... might put these up and go straight to bed."

"Yeah sure," Ike nodded and took a few steps towards her door. "We can watch the movie another night." He gave her a little wave and vanished into the hallway while Zelda fought off the looming cloud of disappointment. Distance would help her get over this crush.

XxX

Ike got up early and made himself a cup of coffee as the thoughts that plagued him fought through the fog in his sleepy brain. Zelda hadn't even come out of her room after putting up her clothes and it bothered him. Had he said something? Done something? The day before had been wonderful until Tina had shown up. Eating lunch across from Zelda after the confrontation had made him realize that he could never have been more wrong about his ex. She had been so self centered and self motivated that even seeing him out with another woman after months of zero contact had warranted making a scene. He didn't want that in his life.

In the short amount of time Ike had known Zelda he realized what he wanted. Someone who was kind, could put up with his humor and oddities, someone who... He felt his own thoughts trail off as he realized he was describing Zelda.

The coffee machine beeped and he quickly poured himself a cup. The first few sips felt like they were burning a hole in his mouth but he quickly gulped them down. He really needed to wake up if he was thinking about Zelda that way. There was no way that she would ever see him as anything more than the homeless vet she had given her couch. Holding any sort of romantic feelings for her would end in nothing but another heartache for him.

A noise from Zelda's room made him turn and he gave her a smile as she emerged. "Morning," he said with more cheer than he felt.

"Hi," she mumbled as she moved to the coffee pot. He watched her for a moment, confused why she seemed so odd this morning.

"I'm going job hunting today." Maybe just moving past the subject would help. "So hopefully by the next time I see you I'm gainfully employed."

"Hope so." The words were clipped as she poured her creamer.

"Did I do something?" Ike asked with a bit more force than he meant to. She tensed up and he frowned to himself. "Whatever it was I'm sorry."

"I don't know-"

"Bullshit," he cut her off and turned to her bedroom. He was not about to argue with her and lose the couch. As he moved into her bedroom he went straight to the closet and pulled out the slacks and button down shirt they had purchased the day before. Without thinking he stripped down.

"Ike I just- oh goddesses!" He whirled at the exclamation and found Zelda beet red and rooted to the spot in the doorframe.

"Sorry," he said with a tinge of amusement. He pulled his slacks on and slid the shirt on, leaving both undone as he rooted around for his new shoes.

"I just... wasn't expecting that."

"Well I wasn't expecting you to come back here. Usually you make your coffee and leave so I just assumed you'd be doing that."

"Right..." she blinked and shook her head, making Ike smirk despite himself. "I just wanted to tell you that you didn't do anything wrong. I didn't sleep good and I had weird dreams all night."

"Oh." He nodded his head as he mulled over her excuse. "Well if you ever can't sleep just come sit with me, I don't mind missing out on some sleep if it means you're okay." She smiled at him and his heart warmed.

"I'll keep that in mind. Now I do need to get to work though. Do you know when you'll be back?"

"Depends on how long it takes for me to get a job but I'll be back when you are."

"Okay." She gave him another smile and Ike felt that things were going to be okay.

XxX

The work from taking a day off had piled up to a mountain that made Zelda want to lay down and cry for an hour. How Peach ever got anything done before she was hired was beyond her comprehension. And, the icing on the cake today, the blonde had decided on a whim to expand the offerings of the brand. No longer would they be exclusively for the high end female clientele, but starting in January Peach wanted to offer some options to men.

"Peach, you can't just buy out the failing suit company from Isle Delphino without telling me!" Zelda groaned in exasperation as she stood across from her seated boss.

"Why not? They're coming in today to sign over the paperwork and-"

"Why are they failing? Maybe you don't want to absorb some shady bad business when you are supposed to be focusing on the future summer line already?! The spring fashions are almost all in the final stages of production, we need sketches of the summer line to begin testing."

"I've been working on them!" Peach laughed happily as she held up her pink folder. "I just think we're missing a huge market by being exclusive. There are so many more style conscious men out there now that deserve better than what they're getting. And you're worried about the wrong thing! Delphino Suits is only failing because of the location and their own lack of advertising. It's been a family run company for four generations and the young son who's supposed to take it over has zero interest in running it."

Zelda rolled her eyes and went back to her desk, determined to move as much of the mountain of work that she could before the meeting commenced. What felt like a lifetime passed for the brunette as she sorted through emails and arranged the models they wanted for the upcoming fashion show. Peach always wanted a beautiful mix of representation on the runway and that took time to find. So focused on her task, Zelda was oblivious to the arrival of someone at her desk until they cleared their throat.

"I'm so sorry, how can I help you?" She hadn't even looked up from her tablet yet but when she did she had to fight the urge of her jaw to drop. Before her desk stood a man that came close to beating Ike in the spot of sexiest man she'd ever seen. Tall, tanned from years under a tropical sun, and lean with a face that looked carved by the goddesses, his dark brown eyes glittered with amusement as he smiled with perfect white teeth.

"Hello," his voice was velvet and tinged with an accent that was easy to swoon over, "I'm from Delphino Suits, here to sign the paperwork with Peach." He pushed a lock of curly hair so dark it almost looked black off his forehead and the poor assistant had to resist the urge to do it for him.

"Yes of course." Zelda gave him a smile as she looked down at her computer screen, hoping to compose herself. "Name please?"

"Markus Isleman, what's yours?"

"Zelda," she said with a smile as she met his gaze.

"Well if it's not too bold to say this, I'd love to take you to dinner tonight and get to know you better Zelda."

"I think that would be wonderful Markus," she replied without missing a beat. Her mind flashed to Ike and she felt a pang in her chest. She needed to get over her developing feelings.

XxX

"Zelda!" Ike's voice startled her as she stepped in the door. "I got a job! Second place I tried!" She walked in to see Ike standing in the kitchen with a glass of water, wearing one of the shirts they had bought the day before.

"That's amazing!" He bowed and she laughed.

"I already worked half a shift and have enough from tips to buy us a celebratory meal. Pick any place you want, my treat." Her smile fell at that.

"Oh well... I can't tonight. I've actually got a date." She watched Ike's face fall.

"A-a date?" He looked down at the glass in his hand and Zelda felt confused why the date was such a problem. "Have fun then. I guess I'll order a pizza or something... do I need to not be here?"

"What do you mean?"

"Post date, should I be elsewhere?" His voice was tight, as if he was worried.

"I don't..." Zelda blushed furiously at his unspoken question. "Goddesses Ike I'm not going to sleep with him after one date! I don't do that." She walked to her bedroom and opened the closet, determined to find the right outfit and hopefully not overanalyze the look on his face. She had barely told herself not to think about it and already she was. Why did he look so hurt at the mere mention of her date?

XXX

Next chapter! Hope you enjoyed it. Special thanks to Purple Mercenary, Qoh22, Guest, concisponci, ImOnNirvana, aestheticpleasure, and Lagerta for reviewing! The alerts mean the world to me. Love, Leigh


	6. Chapter 6

He was gone when she had finished getting ready. Zelda stared at the empty couch with a frown, wondering where he had gone. Logically she knew he hadn't left for good as his bag and all his clothes had been locked in the room with her, but that feeling of fear had her ready to cry.

"No," she shook her head as she chastised herself. "You haven't had a date in months. Ike Greil is not going to ruin it with some stupid dramatic act like disappearing!" She stomped her heeled foot and marched into the kitchen. On the counter was a ripped piece of paper. Curious, she walked over to it and read it aloud.

"'Just going to grab a bite.'" She rolled her eyes at herself and him before she turned back to look at the couch. When had she stopped thinking of it as her couch and started considering it to be his? Even the thought of sitting on it without him seemed wrong.

A knock on her front door made Zelda pause. Realizing it was her date she smoothed the fitted dark purple sweater dress and grabbed her coat. As she clicked in her heels to the door she sent out a silent prayer to the goddesses that Ike would return home safely.

XxX

Ike tried to ignore the panic that was building in the back of his mind. Zelda was on a date the very same day he realized he had more than just feelings of gratitude for her. He cursed his luck as he accepted his freshly baked pizza with a forced smile. She could date whoever, it's not like his approval was needed, but all the horror stories of women out on dates that went wrong flashed through his mind as he walked back to the apartment.

She had said she didn't put out on the first date, a detail that calmed the more animalistic side of him, but what if her date didn't like that? In the time it took for Ike to even think the horrible question he had his answer. He'd kill him. Not metaphorically either.

XxX

Appetizers at fancy restaurants always annoyed Zelda. They were always plated so nicely, hiding the fact that you're paying for a bit of tomato and cheese on a tiny bit of toasted bread. Yeah the swirls of marinara sauce looked pretty, but did that make it worth the sixteen rupees? Not to her.

Ignoring that, she had to say that Markus was rather enchanting. He had been a perfect gentleman and if he kept it up she could definitely see herself going out with him again. It was a mental struggle for her though, every time he gave her a smile she tried not to think about the small grins that made Ike so enticing. Markus had the smile of a man born into money. His whitened teeth were perfectly straight and the entire thing looked rehearsed. Ike? He would grin slightly at random times, and his full fledged smile took her breath away with the genuine happiness it exuded.

"Have you ever been sailing?" Markus asked, instantly reminding Zelda that she wasn't out with Ike.

"Oh uh," she flailed for a moment, trying to remember, "yes. Not very much though. We went with a family friend years ago."

"My father owns a whole fleet of sailing ships, and I think I'm starting to catch up. I just recently purchased a top of the line ship from Falco Speedboats, she cuts through the water beautifully." Zelda smiled and nodded encouragingly, a little relieved when the waiter came by with their bottle of wine.

"So you must really love sailing," she commented as she picked up her now thankfully filled glass of wine.

"Oh it's my passion. Perhaps it was growing up on Isle Delphino, spending days on the water with my father... I'll never understand why he kept the family business open."

"Tradition I suppose?" She offered as she took a rather undignified gulp.

"I knew from a young age I could never be happy in such an industry. I do enjoy dressing well, but to oversee making the clothes? I couldn't be bothered. Such a dull life." Zelda stared at him for a moment, her look incredulous. Did he forget where she worked? This amazing date was already taking a bad turn.

XxX

The couch was as inviting as always when Ike returned to the apartment. He sank with a content sigh, already flicking through the streaming service for something to watch. He was torn between a movie or a funny show when he heard the distinctive sound of a key turning in the lock.

"Was the date that bad?" he asked without looking, only to hear steps that definitely didn't sound like Zelda's come down the narrow hallway.

"She's on a date?" Ike turned to see the doctor Zelda had taken him to standing there, eyes red from crying.

"Yeah... you alright man?"

"You two aren't fucking?" The doctor seemed to be avoiding his question and Ike narrowed his eyes as he tried to remember the guy's first name.

"Are you avoiding my question Link?"

"Just as much as you're avoiding mine," the blonde huffed as he rubbed at his eyes.

"We're not." Ike answered simply, playing with the buttons on the remote a little.

"You want to be though." It wasn't a question, so Ike didn't treat it like one.

"Why are you crying?" Ike asked instead and watched as Link stiffened.

"Relationship troubles," he mumbled finally and it took all of two seconds for Ike to work out the hidden truth.

"Your boyfriend dump you or cheat on you?" Link stared at him in shock, his watery blue eyes wide.

"How did you know?" Ike shrugged and slapped the couch seat next to him.

"My best friend in high school was gay, I realized it before he did. I'm not some asshole homophobe man, come sit and have some pizza. Help me keep from worrying about her out there with some prick I don't know."

"You care about her, you don't just want her." Yet again it wasn't a question, but that time Ike nodded subtly. "I think I might approve of you Ike."

"Thanks." Ike grinned up at him and Link took the offered seat.

"After this we should raid the freezer for her hoard of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream," Link said in a gleeful tone that made Ike chuckle.

XxX

"So wait wait wait," Link held up a pizza grease covered hand, "you walked in on them literally-"

"Yup," Ike nodded as he chewed.

"Ugh what is with people? I thought seeing my ex hastily getting himself and the other man dressed was awful."

"I don't get it. If you're not happy with who you're with, why cheat? Talk to them or end it first." Ike rubbed his hands on a napkin and Link nodded emphatically.

"What I don't understand is like... why cheat with someone who doesn't measure up to who you're with? Like the guy wasn't hotter than me, so what was the reason? I'd never cheat but at least upgrade."

"Who knows man?" Ike stood up and moved towards the kitchen. "You want a bowl for ice cream?"

"You wanna just split the container?"

"Link," Ike turned to him with a genuine smile, "I believe this is the start of a beautiful friendship."

XxX

Zelda was absolutely drunk. The wine kept flowing and she kept drinking. Markus, oh so sweet and charming at first, was completely self absorbed. He jumped topics left and right, not letting her say a word, and flat out talked over her when she did try. He even had the audacity to change her order with the waiter!

As he droned on about some new type of music he had discovered Zelda completely tuned him out, instead focusing on her feelings for Ike. Did she really need to be distant from him? What if it wasn't for the best? Could he see her as anything more? She wasn't sure if it was the alcohol talking or not but the temptation to get up and go home was high. She pictured it with a grin. She could walk in and sit beside Ike, bemoan her awful date...

The room swayed in front of her eyes and Zelda let out a little groan. She may have overdone the drinking. As she focused back on her date she realized what a colossal mistake she had made. Yes he was absolutely handsome but if she had talked to him even just a minute more than their brief introduction she would have seen this.

XxX

Link was asleep, the small container of ice cream dangled dangerously from his limp fingers. Ike noticed and eased it from his hand without disturbing the blonde. He could see why Zelda considered him to be such a good friend and promised himself he'd ask Marth next time they talked if he was single.

Ike stood from the couch and padded into the kitchen to set down their spoons and toss the container. He eyed the clock warily. How long was too long for a first date when sex was off the table? Should he be worried? Was it just dinner? He frowned and shook his head. This whole having feelings for Zelda was going to ruin him.

Link let out a little whine and Ike watched in amusement as the lanky blonde laid down, effectively taking over his bed. With a sigh of defeat he moved back to the couch and grabbed the blanket off the back. With a few flicks of his wrists he smoothed the warm blanket over the slumbering Hylian and moved back into the kitchen with a shake of his head. Now what?

XxX

Dessert was a hard no for her. Feigning a full stomach and feeling exhausted Zelda stumbled into a cab and rode home. The driver was blissfully silent, and she tried to sober up on the quick ride back. The second she felt the car stop she paid and fumbled from the backseat to her front door.

A happy sigh left her lips as she crossed the threshold. The zipper on her coat was not cooperative with her drunken attempts so she kicked off her heels and moved into the living room to ask Ike for help. She froze at the sight of blonde hair peeking out from under the blanket.

"Hey," Ike's voice was a warm whisper from the kitchen and she looked to see him sitting on the counter. Silently she moved to him. "Link let himself in earlier. He was upset but I think I helped him out with pizza, your ice cream, and a sympathetic ear."

"Oh no," she whined as she leaned against Ike heavily, "don't tell me he broke up with... Michael? Mike? Martin?"

"Kevin," Ike supplied and she giggled.

"I was close."

"Are you drunk?"

"I am. I don't normally get drunk but it was the only way to get through that awful date." She shut her eyes and breathed in the smell of his shirt. "You smell good. Pizza, detergent, and something else."

"Body wash probably," he said with amusement. Zelda hummed in approval and felt him chuckle. "What happened with the date?"

"So self absorbed! I could barely talk, he disrespected my line of work, and he changed my order! Claimed it wasn't good enough!"

"Shh," Ike chided gently and she felt his hands push her back. "Don't wake him up. Here," he moved his hands and Zelda flushed as he unzipped her coat with ease. It seemed so intimate and with the alcohol in her system the gesture was more sensual than it should have been.

"Thank you," she mumbled as he slid the coat from her shoulders.

"Go lay down, you'll do better to sleep this off."

"Where are you going to sleep tonight?" She looked back into his eyes and watched how his skimmed down her dress before meeting hers.

"I'll grab the pillow he's not on and crash on the floor."

"Ike! You-" his hand lightly covered her mouth and she giggled as she peered around him. Link was still out thankfully, but she decided to lower her voice. "You can't sleep on the floor!"

"I'm fine. It's still better than out there," he nodded vaguely towards the door and she pursed her lips. She had an easy solution to their dilemma, but would he agree?

"Come on," she grabbed his hand and tugged.

"What are you doing?" He tried to pull back his hand and she ended up crashing into his chest. He wrapped his other arm around her waist to balance her and Zelda had to fight the whine in her throat.

"Just come lay down with me." He tensed at her words and she sighed. "Ike, we're grown adults here. There's nothing wrong with splitting the bed."

"There is when I can't keep to my side," he explained with a serious face. "My ex always complained about me doing that. I'd curl up around her and she couldn't move."

"I don't care. You're not sleeping on the floor." Zelda stepped back from his embrace even if she didn't want to and tugged on his hand gently. "Come on Ike, it's just for the night."

XxX

This was a bad idea and Ike knew it. As he followed the tipsy Zelda back to her room he tried to swallow the lump in his throat. He couldn't do this. He couldn't allow himself the chance to hold her because then he wouldn't want to let go. She didn't want him, didn't see him the way he saw her. If he did this he was sealing his fate and that scared him.

Knowing everything he still followed her. As she stepped into the closet and shut the door to change he sank onto her bed with a soft groan. He idly pondered if doing this made him a masochist, but decided that emotional pain didn't exactly count and then focused on what was going to happen next. He preferred to sleep without a shirt. Would she be okay okay with that? He really couldn't sleep in one...

"Okay," Zelda stepped from the closet and Ike could not help but stare. The dress and leggings were gone and the oversized shirt she was wearing was the perfect mix of adorable and sexy. "Which side do you prefer?"

"I-uh it doesn't matter," he fumbled his way through his sentence and stood up as she walked towards the bed. He helped her pull back the comforter and watched as she laid down. A ghost of a grin curled his lips as she pulled the blankets up to her chin.

"Lay down," she bossed and he chuckled as he nervously scratched at his hair.

"Can I lay down without a shirt?"

"Sure." She said it casually after a beat and Ike wasn't sure if the redness of her cheeks was from a blush or alcohol. With a little sigh he pulled his shirt from his torso and dropped it on the floor.

She watched him climb into the bed and he felt awkward as he tried to get comfortable without taking up too much room. After shifting around for a minute he felt decently comfortable with his back to her, only to feel a cold foot touch his.

"Am I taking up too much room?" he asked quickly.

"No no! Sorry!" Zelda withdrew her foot and he found he missed the contact a bit. They laid there in silence, the awkwardness making him frown. "This is weird," she commented and he snorted.

"A little. I feel like I'm taking up too much space and-"

"Can I cuddle with you?" she asked in a small voice and he rolled onto his back a little in surprise.

"Yeah sure." He knew it would kill him to lie to himself and hold her like that, but how could he refuse? The bed shifted and suddenly her head was on his bare chest, her ear pressed to his heart. Instinct had him put his arm around her shoulders, and before he realized he had even done it her leg was over his.

"I like this," she sighed sleepily.

"Me too." He felt her fingers begin to trace lazy patterns on his chest and he let out a happy noise. Zelda's giggle made him smirk and, without even thinking about it he pressed a kiss to her forehead. The patterns didn't stop, but the little noise of contentment she made filled a hole in his heart he didn't realize was there.

XXX

Well this chapter fought me tooth and nail but it's out. I hope you all enjoyed it. Please let me know what you think. Much love, Leigh


	7. Chapter 7

Ike was the first to wake up. Something he had learned while homeless was that sleeping for too long led to trouble, so he was less than shocked to find himself waking suddenly. What was a shock was the warm body wrapped around his. He blinked the sleep from his eyes and couldn't help but stare down at the sleeping form of Zelda. She had obviously fallen asleep on his chest and the one leg that had been tossed over his had somehow changed to something much better. They were on their sides, facing each other, legs a tangled mess, and an arm slung over the other's body. It felt so good to be held again that Ike couldn't help his contented sigh. He shifted ever so slightly, enough to get the blood flowing again in his arm pinned under his pillow and she whined. Ike froze in place as she moved closer to him. Her face burrowed into his chest and her arm around his waist tightened. That was all well and good, but when her leg hitched up around his hip he had to grit his teeth. That felt too good for an innocent maneuver in her sleep. He took a shaky breath and tried to tame down the natural reaction. It had been so long since he had had an intimate touch that he found his own body betraying him. Thankful that she was still asleep, Ike shut his eyes and prayed that a certain piece of his anatomy would be calmed down by the time her alarm went off.

XxX

Alarms were the worst thing to ever be invented on a good day. When one is hungover they're like a psychotic monkey standing next to one's head while screaming and banging together cymbals. Zelda whined at the noise coming from her bedside table and tightened her arm around her pillow. When a warm chuckle met her ears she opened her eyes in shock. A toned chest met her sleepy gaze and she looked up to see Ike's amused sleepy face looking down at her.

"Goddesses sorry!" She blushed as she pulled her arm from around his waist and tried to sit up. Her head swam and she groaned. Ike sat up with her and pulled her against him, letting her lean against his body. He ran a soothing hand down her back and she shut her eyes at the sensation.

"I thought I was a cuddler... I woke up to see that I'm not the only one." His voice was a soft whisper in her ear and it was causing her hungover body to react. Before she could even feel embarrassed by the warmth pooling in her naval he moved away from her. She turned her head slowly to watch him walk into the bathroom. He made a few noises in there and she laid back down with a whine. How could she have suggested cuddling him last night? How evil was she to herself to do that?! There was no way she wanted him to ever lay alone on her couch again.

"Here," Ike spoke in a soft tone as he sat back down. He held out a few pain relievers and a cup of water.

"You're amazing," she groaned as she took the offered medicine and sat back up.

"Are you gonna be okay to go to work?" His concerned tone made her smile and she nodded once before resting her head against his bare shoulder.

"I just need a minute and then I can shower." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and slid out from under her.

"Take your time," he said as he moved towards the bathroom. "It'll give me a chance to steal all the hot water."

"Ike..." she whined his name with a pout and he grinned.

XxX

After separate showers and both grabbing their clothes for the day Ike found himself leaning against the counter in the bathroom, eyes taking in the sight of Zelda pulling out makeup from her bulging bag. As she got out the various brushes and palettes he couldn't name if his life depended on it he sighed.

"You know," he hesitated before continuing, wondering if this was pushing it, "I'm all for makeup for empowerment but you don't need any of it."

"Right," she rolled her eyes as she opened a little bottle.

"I'm serious," he insisted as he reached out a hand. She froze as he gently touched her cheek with the pads of his fingers. "I've known women that would kill for not only your complexion but your soft skin." She turned her eyes to him and he couldn't stop himself from continuing. "Your eyes shine beautifully without powder to enhance their color, you blush and it's somehow cute and sexy, and your lips..." He trailed off as he lightly brushed his thumb across her bottom lip, wanting nothing more than to press a kiss to them.

"What about them?" she whispered and he realized that somewhere in his tirade of her beauty she had moved right in front of him. They barely had two inches between their bodies, and that two inches felt criminal.

"Perfectly kissable," he admitted in a hoarse voice he would have found embarrassing if she hadn't reacted the way she did. Without any hesitation she leaned forward and Ike caught her lips with his. They were soft and supple under his own that had been made rough from fighting the cold. His hand stayed on her face, but slid to hold her jaw carefully, his other slid around her waist and pulled her slim body even closer. She dragged her fingers through his hair as she opened her mouth and Ike took the opportunity provided.

It was the perfect kiss, one that had Ike reacting to the light moans and sighs that made it out of her throat. He pulled her body flush against his as desire overrode the voice in his brain screaming that this could be a bad idea.

"Ike? Did Zelda come in last night?" Link's shout from the other end of the apartment made Zelda pull away with a gasp. Ike cursed the blonde interruption silently as she gasped down a few breaths. He licked his lips slowly, loving how they ached from hers and tried to meet her gaze. What he found was her staring down at the makeup on the counter with a frown.

"Zelda-"

"No," she cut him off with her hand held up. "That was a mistake we shouldn't have done it. I need to get ready for work." Ike felt her words like a punch to the gut and left the bathroom quickly. He moved from the bedroom and out into the living room. Link gave him a funny look as he brushed past him and pulled his coat from the hook roughly.

"What happened?" The blonde moved to block his path and Ike let out a frustrated noise.

"Ask her because I don't fucking know." With that Link half stepped from the door and Ike opened it. The cold early morning air bit into his face but he refused to stop as he slammed the door and kept walking.

XxX

Zelda slumped with the sound of her front door slamming. She heard the sound of Link moving down the hallway and tried to brace herself for him but it was in vain. The second she caught sight of his blonde hair in the mirror she felt tears bubble up in her throat.

"What happened? Ike said to ask you."

"I kissed him," she whispered and Link let out a confused noise. "I forgot everything I decided was best and I kissed him! Oh goddesses he probably-"

"Enjoyed it immensely gets my vote. Going off of how he talked about you last night I think he-"

"Link stop I can't just kiss the guy I am letting live with me!" She whirled around to face her lifelong best friend. He was eyeing her, obviously looking for something as he formulated his response. "I think I like him and I can't. He doesn't have a home, he just got a job... I'm all he has right now and trying to be something more than friends with him right now could be detrimental."

"You freaked out when I called out to him didn't you?" Link looked sad to ask the question, and her nod made him sigh. "Zelda I love you so much but my Nayru can you be stubborn. I was here last night when you were out on a date. I watched that blue haired idiot grapple with the fact that you could be getting some serious dick and why that bothered him. The guy has feelings for you, and he watched you get ready and leave to go out with some guy he didn't know and it was killing him. Then you kiss him in the morning and freak out over it? Why freak out?"

"Because Link I... I can't let myself get involved with him! What happens if we do and it doesn't work? He's homeless remember?!" Tears leaked down her cheeks and she drew in a steady breath.

"Zelda," Link wrapped his arms around her shoulders and she collapsed into him. "When you get home tonight make up for freaking out about it. He deserves that at least. Then take it slow... I think this will work out I really do." Link slipped his arms from her shoulders and Zelda quickly wiped her tears.

"I need to get ready for work." He nodded and motioned to the door.

"I gotta do the same. Call me or something, let me know how it goes."

XxX

Ike wasn't scheduled to go in until much later. It was too early for the restaurant he had been hired at to even be open, but he found himself loitering outside. The sting of her rejection had calmed down and now the panic had set in. Would she kick him out for kissing her? God what if she was just upset from the bad date and considered him to have taken advantage of her? He ran a shaking hand through his hair and looked around him at the silent buildings.

As he tried to calm his panic he took deep breaths of icy air and released them slowly, playing the events back in his mind. The way she had looked at him... he genuinely thought that she wanted him to kiss her. In that moment he didn't have any other way of interpreting her actions. What changed?

"Ike?" A vaguely familiar voice pulled him from the spiraled and panicked thoughts and he turned to see one of the owners of the restaurant hopping out of a cab.

"Bayonetta, good morning." He tried to smile and it must have gone horribly wrong because she tilted her head and tsked.

"What's wrong Ike? Why are you here so early?" She raised a travel mug of coffee to her ruby lips and Ike suddenly realized just how cold he was. A shiver worked through his entire frame and she moved closer.

"You know how I told you I was living with a roommate?" He prompted her memory as she touched a gloved hand to his exposed ears.

"Yes, a pretty brunette right? Ike your ears are half frozen let's get you inside." She turned and unlocked the door and Ike followed. Once she had turned off the alarm she turned to face him. "Continue."

"She went on a date last night, it was terrible, and this morning when she was getting ready she kissed me." Bayonetta raised a raven dark brow and he looked down at his damp shoes. "Then she freaked out and told me to go. I'm sorry I showed up here so early I just... it was so sudden and quick I had no idea where else to go."

"Oh hush," Bayonetta purred in her accent. "I don't mind the company. I have to get the order from the truck anyway and it might be beneficial for me to have a strong male type here with me. Not for the boxes," she amended quickly and Ike snorted. "I'm serious! The delivery guy doesn't understand the complexities of me having a girlfriend."

"Jeanne right?" Ike asked and she nodded.

"We've been dating for ages. Now though we have to figure out what to do with your little woman problem." Ike chuckled, self deprecation oozing from him. "You like her, that much is obvious... why did she kiss you? Was it completely out of the blue?"

"She was about to put on makeup and I may or may not have been complimenting her natural beauty without it. I also maybe got carried away and she just... got so close the only thing I could think to do was finish my compliment and she leaned up and-"

"Oh Ike you have it bad for her," Bayonetta gave him a rare smile and he shrugged. "Don't downplay it. You sound like me before I admitted my feelings for Jeanne." Ike remained silent and she sighed. "Let's make some coffee so we can warm your bones."

XxX

Zelda hated how she had handled the morning with Ike. Everything was so stressful now. They had kissed! It was the kind of kiss that left her breathless and her body begging for more. She blushed as she realized that if Link hadn't interrupted she might have tried to get more.

Shaking that dangerous and delightful train of thought from her treacherous brain she focused on the issues at hand. Where did they stand? Had he left for good? Did he even want to stay with her now? What Link had said... did he like her? A chime from her computer let her know she was wasting valuable work time and she groaned. Of course she had to screw up the delicate balancing act with him the morning Peach decided they were officially setting up for the fashion show.

As she worked on her latest batch of emails to finalize their models Peach emerged from her office. "I think I'm in love," she sighed happily and Zelda looked towards her blonde boss in shock.

"I thought nothing could tame the wild, self proclaimed princess?" She watched as her boss moved to her desk, still typing up the email.

"Oh I know... I didn't think so either until I met Mario." She sighed the name and Zelda quickly ran down a mental list of any and all men named Mario they encountered around their line of work. None that weren't gay sprang to mind and Zelda wondered if she should burst her bubble.

"Which Mario?" she asked carefully and Peach laughed.

"Not a designer don't worry," she waved a manicured pink hand dismissively. "He came to my apartment yesterday to fix the sink." That completely derailed Zelda's brain. Her fingers froze over the keyboard as she stared at her boss in shock.

"You're in love with a plumber?"

"Not just any plumber, but a man from a great legacy of them. He made fixing the pipes seem so poetic..." Peach sighed and got a far away look in her eyes. "He's perfect. Gainfully employed, no issues with him wanting to sell my sketches to competitors, and he has the cutest accent ever!"

"Wow Peach," Zelda smiled at the way her boss seemed genuinely taken by the man. "When are you two going out?"

"Well that's the hard part," Peach frowned. "He didn't ask me and I'm unlikely to see him again unless I get another leaky pipe..." Zelda rolled her eyes with humor.

"Call in with a fake repair request."

"Zelda you're a genius!" Peach beamed and walked back into her office, leaving a chuckling assistant in her wake.

XxX

Ike smirked as he cleaned up another table from the lunch rush. He was eavesdropping on the business suits at the next table and while their conversation was mind numbingly dull, they both seemed quite into the issues of the latest tax code. His eyes moved to Bayonetta behind the counter at the bistro's small bar as she mixed up a drink with practiced ease. Her eyes caught his and she shot him a wink. It had become the unspoken new rule that she would flirt with him to get men to back off and while he didn't mind, he wished the men doing the flirting would learn to accept defeat.

With a plastic bin filled with soiled cutlery and plates he walked back into the kitchen. There he saw Bayonetta's other half, and the other owner of the restaurant, Jeanne working with the head chef. She caught sight of him and motioned for him to come over. Curious, he set the dirty dishes down and walked to her side.

"Can you help prep? Snake here has scared off his latest helper."

"Not my fault the boy couldn't take criticism," Snake growled roughly as he stirred a pot with boiling noodles.

"I don't have any formal training but I can chop and do the basics," Ike confirmed and Jeanne smiled at him. She pressed a kiss to his right cheek and walked away, leaving Ike to the mercy of Snake.

"I need onions, carrots, and garlic. Finely chopped and minced. Can you manage that?" Snake asked gruffly and Ike nodded.

"You got it."

"Prove it."

XxX

The day was finally over and Zelda could not be happier. Well, if she knew that Ike was going to be there and things were fine she would feel better about it but she was happy to leave work. As she walked down the sidewalk she saw a familiar head of blue hair walking with a raven haired woman and a blonde. Zelda faltered at the sight. Who were they? The trio turned into a small corner market and Zelda followed them curiously.

It was obviously Ike, and when he turned enough to let her confirm that it was him by his profile she felt her heart speed up. He grabbed a box of pasta noodles and the duo of women pointed out various sauces. The aisle next to them was clear so Zelda slinked over and eavesdropped.

"I reccomend the marinara," the raven haired one purred out in a British accent.

"You always want marinara," the blonde said with exasperation. "Try the best which is easily the alfredo."

"I don't know if she likes alfredo," Ike chuckled. "Coming here with you two was a bad idea."

"Ike don't say that, I'll only be a little upset if you choose hers over mine."

"See that's the problem. Why don't you two just go and I'll pick in peace?"

"No way now I have to know which one you pick." Zelda wondered if Ike was planning on cooking them dinner, in which case she would prefer the marinara, but there was a wiggle of doubt in her mind. Maybe he was going somewhere else?

"Look this is an apology dinner, I need to get this right I... want her to know that I'm sorry about this morning."

"Ike," the blonde shook her head, "a woman wouldn't kiss you if she didn't feel something for you."

"Jeanne I told you she had a bad date and too much to drink the night before. For all I know she's tossed all my stuff out on the street." Zelda scoffed at that and decided that enough was enough. If he was trying to make amends then so could she.

With a nod of her head she looked at the bottles of salad dressing in front of her and quickly snagged her favorite ranch dressing. Then, with all the confidence she could muster she moved out of the aisle and turned down the one Ike and the two women stood in.

"Zelda?" Ike's voice was hesitant and she met his gaze.

"Hey Ike." It was awkward for her, especially with the two women standing behind Ike like bodyguards ready to attack. "I uh... was gonna pick up some salad for dinner." She held up the bottle of ranch dressing self consciously and shifted her weight to the other foot.

"I was going to make pasta," he said with a twitch of his lips that could have been a smile in another dimension. She nodded and motioned to the sauces.

"Salad and pasta then? I'll grab some bread?"

"Sure." He nodded and grabbed a bottle of marinara. The dark haired female raised an eyebrow at the blonde before clicking away in high heels.

"I'm getting wine Jeanne."

"I better go with her, she always picks the darkest reds," Jeanne sighed and spared Ike a wink before she followed the retreating woman.

"Uh," Ike looked after them, obviously wishing they hadn't left, "those two are odd."

"Friends?" Zelda asked awkwardly, trying to pretend she wasn't jealous.

"Bosses," he corrected. "I'll grab some sort of meat to go with this okay?" She nodded and he turned.

"Ike I... I'm sorry about this morning I-"

"I shouldn't have done what I did," he cut her off as he turned back to face her. "It's been too long since I've had anyone in my personal space like that Zelda and I just... my body reacted and told my brain to shut up. If you want me to leave say so, but I promise it won't happen again."

"I don't want that Ike, I never want that." A hidden tension left his shoulders at that and she smiled inwardly. "I'm sorry for how I reacted."

"Water under the bridge." They shared a small smile before Ike motioned over his shoulder. "I'm going to grab the meat."

"I'll find bread and maybe a little something for dessert." Zelda turned and left the aisle. Relief flooded her body. Maybe things could go back to normal now. Maybe they would be okay. The only thing that felt off was how she didn't want things to go back. She wanted a redo of the morning. She wanted him to kiss her again.


	8. Chapter 8

It was slow going, but they put the incident behind them. The kiss, while not forgotten, was pushed aside and never discussed again. Zelda hated how Ike was careful with how he touched her. There were no more kisses pressed to her hair, no more random times when his arm would suddenly be around her. He kept his distance and she followed suit.  
Weeks passed by in a blur. With the two of them working it made the distance a bit more bearable. He was busy and came home sweaty. She was busy and came home mentally exhausted. They would either eat something he made or order something simple.  
Before Zelda knew what was happening Christmas was a week away. Ike had explicitly said no presents, citing his sleeping on her couch as present enough when the days somehow got even colder, but she felt that she had to get him something. One morning on her walk to work she realized what she should get him and made a slight detour. Yes she would be late, but it was worth it to see his face.

XxX  
Ike stared at the display case, his lower lip between his teeth. There had been talk of no presents, but Ike was a giver especially around Christmas. And this... it would be perfect for her. Sure, it was a little more than he meant to spend but if anyone deserved the best it was Zelda. With that thought firmly in place he waved down a saleswoman and motioned to his intended purchase.

XxX  
Work Christmas parties were the bane of her existence. Getting dressed up and having to deal with the drunken versions of everyone who worked for Peach was not Zelda's idea of a good time, but she knew that if she didn't show the rumors would fly. As she slipped into her comfiest pair of black heels she smoothed her deep red dress.  
"Zelda?" Ike knocked on her shut door and she glanced at his wrapped present sitting on her bed. She wanted to give it to him early and pondered whether it was a good idea.  
"The door's unlocked," she called and a moment later he opened it. He leaned against the doorframe and she smiled at his tired face.  
"You look nice," he complimented and she let out a heavy breath  
"I don't want to go but the way these people act if you don't... blah." He chuckled at the face she made and moved to the closet they shared. She watched, curious as he pulled out a deep green button down shirt she didn't remember him owning. "What are you doing?"  
"Well its the eve of Christmas Eve Eve, I've got my own party to go to." He unbuttoned his shirt slowly, his eyes on the shirt. "Do you think this is festive enough? Bayonetta said no ugly sweaters and everyone had to be in the basic Christmas colors."  
"I like it," Zelda offered as she stood up, his wrapped present in her hands. It bothered her that he mentioned Bayonetta so much, but she knew she had no right to say anything. Her eyes watched the way his white button down shirt hit the floor, exposing his torso. He had been working out, that much was obvious from the new muscle development. The sight made her bite her lip.  
"I think I'll shower first... I'm assuming you're done in the bathroom?" He turned to fully face her and she had to fight the whine. Ike shirtless without the added muscle was irresistible but with the muscle she was ready to tackle him to the floor. His eyes skimmed her body and his brow furrowed. "Are you guys doing a Secret Santa thing?"  
"Oh no," she blushed as she walked up to him and held it out. "Merry Christmas Ike."  
"Zelda-"  
"I know you said no presents but I had to once I thought of it. Please?" She added a little pout and he smiled as he took the present.  
"I guess this is only fair, considering I got you something as well." Zelda's jaw dropped.  
"You sly devil! What is it?"  
"Oh no," he chuckled as he shook his head, "you can't know yet."  
"Fine," she relented with a fake glare that made him chuckle once more. "Just because I'm amazing I want you to open yours now."  
"Right now?" He looked nervous and she nodded.

XxX  
At her nod Ike swallowed and looked down at the red and gold packaging. Whatever was in this box was as big as his hand, and he had no clue what she would consider a gift she had to get him. The thought that it had been so long since someone had gotten him anything had his throat clogged with emotion.  
Carefully he pulled on the paper, his eyes locked on the rip as it grew in size. He glanced at Zelda, saw her impatient and excited face, and ripped the rest off with one big pull. What the festive paper hid made his eyes widen in surprise. In his hand was a brand new cell phone. Better than the one he had owned before having to sell it for food, this was the latest model, exactly like the one Zelda owned.  
"Zelda... I don't know what to say..." he looked up at her and couldn't hold it back anymore. He pulled her to him with his free hand and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Maybe he imagined the sigh of happiness, but she did lay her head on his chest. "Thank you so much," he whispered around the emotions threatening to bubble over. He kissed her forehead gently and felt what he was pretty sure was a kiss on his chest.  
"You're welcome. It's on my phone plan, you have unlimited data, and you can call whoever whenever you want."  
"I've been thinking about getting one, but I couldn't... thank you." He kissed her again before stepping back. He stared at the box and she let out a little laugh.  
"I need to get going to the party but you can text me if you want now."  
"I'll have to," he chuckled self consciously as he opened the box. His mind flicked to her present, hidden in the bottom of his backpack and shoved to the back of her closet. Should he? Would she even like it? He was nervous to just give her the gift, especially now that she had spent so much on him. This also meant more than just him having a phone for himself. She added his number to her line. She wanted him around.  
"I'll see you when I get back... I hope you have fun at your party." She gave him a small smile and he cleared his throat.  
"I hope you do too." She hesitated and Ike made the decision for them. He turned to go into the bathroom and shut the door with a solid click.

XxX  
Zelda laughed at the photo Ike sent her an hour later. He had just arrived at his own party and along the ceiling at intervals Bayonetta had seen fit to hang mistletoe. She tried not to let the thought of him getting caught under it enter her head as she smiled and worked her way through the crowd around the upscale bar Peach had paid enough money to close for the private party that evening.  
With a glass of wine in hand she made her usual rounds, stopping to stare in shock at the man beside her boss. When Peach had described Mario she had expected some sort of male model, calendar boy type. What she saw made her realize that Peach wasn't nearly as shallow as she thought. Mario was not exactly a fit man. He was chubby, with a big bushy mustache that sat over a happy smile. His blue eyes were shining with delight as Peach fawned over something an intern showed her and the absolute adoration he exuded made Zelda smile. When Peach straightened up and the intern walked off the assistant realized Mario was actually shorter than Peach.  
Curiosity piqued, Zelda walked over to the couple. Peach noticed her and beamed. "Zelda! You have to meet my Mario! Mario, this is Zelda, the only member of my team I could truly never do without. Zelda, this is Mario, my perfect boyfriend who owns his own plumbing company with his little brother." Zelda stuck out her hand and Mario shook it with a smile.  
"It's very nice to meet you Mario," Zelda offered with a matching smile. "I've only heard high praise from Peach."  
"Likewise! Peach has said nothing but wonderful things about you. It's nice to put a face to the name."

XxX  
Ike was avoiding the mistletoe sprigs like the plague. He was not about to have to kiss someone, he had had enough trouble from spontaneous kissing thank you very much. So that pretty much left him on a barstool beside a coworker he didn't even know. She shifted in her seat beside him and he internally cringed at the conversation she was about to start.  
"Are you... dating the boss?" That caught Ike off guard and he looked at her like she sprouted another head.  
"The boss? Am I dating..." Ike hesitated. "Which one?"  
"I dunno. It's just that all I do is waitress and you're always talking to them. Even Snake thinks you're like totally, his words not mine, getting a two for one deal there. They're like always talking to you and stuff."  
Ike couldn't help it. He laughed. "No," he finally said. "I am neither dating Bayonetta or Jeanne nor am I getting a two for one deal."  
"So you have a girlfriend?" Ike couldn't help the brief thought that went to Zelda and cursed himself for it.  
"I don't."  
"Why?"  
"Why are asking?" He felt a little defensive at this line of questioning. While not completely happy with how awkward things had been with Zelda he was content. He wasn't ready to jump into a relationship with anyone right now and, if he was honest with himself, he would admit that the only person that had interested him had responded to a kiss in a blunt and painful way.  
"Just trying to make small talk," the woman said with a hint of annoyance.  
"Small talk isn't why aren't you dating someone, its things like wow this weather." She scoffed and Ike picked up his drink before he stood up. He had to find a different place to sit.

XxX  
Zelda frowned at the empty couch when she got home. Where was Ike? He had texted her when she was about to leave that he was heading back. As she unzipped her coat and kicked off her heels she walked further into the kitchen, blushing when she heard the shower running. After grabbing a glass and filling it with water she heard the telltale sounds of Ike moving down the hallway. She turned to greet him and choked on her water. He froze shirtless with only a towel around his waist, eyes wide as she coughed.  
She doubled over, and felt mortified when his feet came into view. His warm hand rubbed her back and she finally felt okay. "Are you alright?" he asked carefully and she nodded as she straightened up.  
"Yeah." Her voice was hoarse and she cleared her throat before trying again. "Yeah you just scared me."  
"Sorry... I didn't think you would be home yet. I'm gonna go grab my sweats." Zelda watched as he turned, body and mind screaming at her to say or do something to keep the vision in front of her from leaving.  
"How was the party?" She quickly blurted out the question and he paused. He turned back to face her and she felt like she had accomplished something great.  
"Boring as hell," he chuckled. "How about yours?"  
"Honestly? I hated every second of it but I did get to meet Peach's boyfriend and I have to admit he's not what I pictured."  
"How so?" Ike asked with a raised eyebrow.  
"Shorter than Peach and he is adorably chubby."  
"I thought Peach was the unofficial queen of vanity?"  
"So did I! I guess love makes a person do crazy things." She watched as a look crossed Ike's face, but he quickly shook it off.  
"Well I'm glad she's realized happiness is more than just the surface... I'm going to get my pants now." He turned and walked down the hallway, leaving Zelda to bite her lip and whine.

XxX  
Ike sat on the couch with the television on some show he wasn't watching. He was however paying attention to the sounds Zelda was making in the room. After he had dressed in just pants she had gone into the room to shower and put on her pajamas and he wasn't sure if she was coming back out or not. He hadn't really said goodnight and that felt weird now. It amazed him how quickly he had adapted and become almost dependent on the way things worked with Zelda. Her routines became his and he could easily say that they worked better together than he ever did with his ex.  
"Ike?" Like a dream Zelda appeared in the hallway to the bedroom, dressed in a shirt he knew was from his side of the closet.  
"Is that my shirt?" He knew it was, but asking made an adorable blush appear on her cheeks. "I think it looks better on you than me." He internally cursed his mouth for letting that slip out. She did not need to hear about any sort of attraction he felt for her.  
"Thank you," came her soft response as she took a seat next to him. He tensed up to fight the urge to hold her and hoped she didn't feel it. "What are you watching?" Ike glanced at the screen and shrugged.  
"I just landed on this, I'm trying to find something. Is there something you want to watch?" He held out the remote. She took it and flipped through the channels before landing on a classic Christmas cartoon. He could almost hear her brain screaming a question at him, but he just pretended to be interested in the cartoon until she opened her mouth.  
"So how was the party really?" Ike raised an eyebrow at that, surprised.  
"Just like I said, boring as hell."  
"Did you... get caught under all that mistletoe?" Her questions were obviously not idle curiosity and he tried to stomp on the notion that him kissing someone else bothered her.  
"I actually avoided it like the plague. I only got caught by Bayonetta at the end..." he trailed off as her brow furrowed. "Since she's gay she kissed my cheek and out the door I went."  
"She's what?" Zelda turned so fast to face him Ike had to dodge her flying hair. Thinking he had made some sort of faux pas Ike quickly tried to explain.  
"Sorry did I say that wrong? Her and Jeanne are in a very long and committed relationship... I assume they're lesbians but I never really asked. I didn't think it was right to-"  
"Your boss you won't shut up about is a lesbian?" Zelda sounded shocked and Ike frowned.  
"I don't talk about her that much... do you have a problem with that? Your best friend is gay."  
"What? No!" Zelda quickly shook her head. "I don't have a problem with that! I just... I thought there was something going on between you two and-" she froze and licked her lips quickly, the motion not lost on Ike. He watched her take a steadying breath. "I was just surprised because I thought there was something between you two."  
"Well there's not," Ike shifted in his spot. He found his mouth opening of it's own accord for what came out next. "Even if there was something going on it's not like you'd care. Wait, that sounded way better in my head." He felt Zelda get up from the couch and he ran a hand down his face.  
"Do you not consider me a friend? Why wouldn't I care?" She was standing up right in front of him, her arms crossed. Ike tried to read her expression to find the quickest way to neutralize the situation. What he saw confused him. She looked hurt, upset, a tad angry, and he couldn't tell what else she was feeling.  
"Zelda I didn't mean it like that I'm sorry. I just meant that..." he hesitated and she rolled her eyes.  
"Meant what Ike? That I don't care? Newsflash I obviously do care about you otherwise you wouldn't be in my apartment! You'd still be that dirty homeless guy ducking into alleys!" Her eyes went wide, like that came out harsher than she meant but Ike was too upset to notice such details. He stood up abruptly, his height making her take a step back.  
"I meant you don't give a damn about any sort of romantic feelings I may or may not have. And why should you? I'm just the homeless dude you offered your couch, not one of the people you would actually date. Thank you for reminding me of that." He brushed past her and moved down the hall to her room. After he flung open the closet door he grabbed his trusty old backpack and shoved his warmest clothes inside. Boxers, socks, everything he would need went into the bag as he simultaneously took out her wrapped presents.  
Dressed, he left her room to see her sat on the couch, her head in her hands. Feelings raged within him. On one hand he wanted to get away from her, wanted to let the feelings die out for the woman who didn't return them. On the other hand he wanted to comfort her, apologize for what he said, and try to fix things. He hesitated, warring between his two choices. Logically he should fix things. It was far too cold outside for him to not get sick and possibly die. He knew that, but he also knew himself. He had gone and developed feelings for someone who obviously did not feel as he did. That kiss was a bad memory for her and while he wanted more than that she didn't. He should remove himself from her life, keep his distance, otherwise he knew he'd tell her eventually and they would be in a very awkward position.  
He braced himself before he walked up to her. She didn't look up at him, but he could tell she was aware of his presence in the way she tensed. He silently held out her two wrapped presents, the apartment key and his cell phone balanced on top. When she didn't acknowledge that he was doing anything he bristled and shoved the items onto her lap.  
"Ike." It was a whisper, a silent something in her voice that almost broke his confidence in his decision.  
"I can't live here with you anymore. Thank you for everything, but I can't. If I stay I'm going to fall in love with you and I can't be in love with someone who doesn't love me, not again. Goodbye." He moved towards the door and pulled on his coat. The material was still chilled on the outside from his short walk back to her place. He zipped the coat and opened the door. The wind and cold immediately bit into his face. He hesitated, but heard no sign of life from her.  
"Merry Christmas." It came out cold, perhaps even colder than he intended, but he walked out the door and closed it gently behind him.

XxX  
Zelda cried. Silent tears streaked down her face unchecked as she held what he had set in her lap. The key, the phone she had just gifted him, and two wrapped presents. Her body shook and suddenly the tears weren't silent. He had said he would fall in love with her. He wasn't in love with his boss, but well on his way to being in love with her. She cried harder, knowing she had been well on her way as well.  
He was gone. He wasn't coming back. He was out there all alone in the freezing weather because of a fight. Why had they fought? She was jealous of a lesbian he kept talking about! The news had shocked her and in her surprise she had probably hit his most sensitive nerve.  
A loud wail rocked her body and she set everything down beside her. She had been fighting feelings for Ike, especially after the kiss, only to find out that he felt the same way on his way out the door. A voice in the back of her head screamed at her to go after him, find that blue haired man, and kiss him until he came back home. She dried her eyes and tried to stop her crying. She needed to find him. There was a dangerous snow storm moving in at the early hours of the morning. If he was out in it he could die. That thought got her back on her feet and she ran into her room.

XxX  
It was colder out than Ike thought. Even in his thick coat he felt chilled to the bone. As he wandered he tried to think of a safe space to spend the night and landed on an alley he had found not long before Zelda had taken him in. As his boots crunched through the snow he looked around him.  
White. Everything was white. Even the air looked white with how much snow was falling and that worried him. It was too cold. He shuddered and felt a surge of relief when he found a twenty four hour convenience store up ahead. As he picked up his pace he dug in his pocket for spare change. If they had a payphone he could make a call. It was obvious that staying out in the freezing weather wasn't an option, so he tried to remember Bayonetta's phone number. If he could just crash for one night he could figure something out.  
The doors to the store opened and Ike sighed happily as the warm air of the inside washed over him. "Rather cold for a stroll isn't it?" Ike turned his attention to the soft voice behind the counter and found himself looking at a young man with white hair hanging around his eyes, a massive book in his hands.  
"Yeah, didn't think it through," he chuckled and motioned to the coffee station in the middle of the store. "Please tell me you have coffee."  
"Yes. Fresh pot too." Ike nodded thankfully and strode over to it quickly. "Why the backpack?"  
"I uh... had a fight with my girlfriend," the lie slipped off his tongue as he grabbed a cup from the stack. "Walked out before it could get worse."  
"You walked out in this? You must be crazy. Either that or you are hoping for a reconciliation that would have been ruined by staying, which is an odd circumstance." Ike shrugged as he poured the coffee into the travel mug.  
"She means a lot to me and the fight was getting out of hand. We both said hurtful things but I was hardly ready to stand around for her to say more."  
"Her words cut deep then. She must know you well. It's the ones we care for the most that hurt us the most." Ike nodded as he carefully placed the black plastic lid on his cup and pushed it down. Then he moved to the counter to pay for his coffee.  
As he set the cup on the counter at the register he eyed the kid's nametag. "You gotta be in college, right Robin?"  
"I am," the young man nodded with a faint smile. "I'm working on my masters degree."  
"You seem young to be on that." Robin tilted his head slightly, the faint smile more pronounced.  
"I did get pushed up quite a few grades early on in school. It made for a unique learning experience, but a terrible social life."  
"Bigger kids thought you were weird?"  
"Apparently I was a freak." At that his small smile faltered and Ike shook his head.  
"Don't let that shit bother you. They were all probably jealous and insecure. Think about it from their perspective. Here's a kid who is so young yet handling the work they struggle with like its nothing." Robin's lips twitched at that.  
"You are a kind man... I'm sorry I didn't catch your name."  
"Ike," he offered the young man a hand and they shook.  
"You are a kind man Ike, I hope your girlfriend realizes what a rare creature you are."  
"Yeah well, I don't know about that but I'm lucky to have spent any time with her."

XxX  
Zelda trudged through the thick snow, cursing herself for letting it get this bad between them. As she moved she pondered different ways to convince Ike to come home. Her apartment wasn't the same without him and if she were honest it didn't feel like home without him there. The thought of never seeing him again urged her to move faster.  
As the suffocating white fell around her she paused, realizing belatedly that she had no idea where he could have gone. Was he slumped over in some alley? Had he even gone this way? Panic filled her to the core and she spun in a circle, hoping to spot some sign of him. As odd as it was to see there was no one out in the night. Everyone knew this storm would be bad, so everyone stayed home. Zelda's panicked eyes found the neon sign of a convenience store up ahead and she decided to try her luck there. Maybe the attendant had seen a lone figure move past.  
Slower than she would have liked she made it across the street and to the front door. She opened it and let out a happy noise when the warm air hit her exposed face. She turned her eyes to the counter, ready to ask, when her jaw dropped.  
"Ike?"

XXX  
And this is where I leave you. Thank you all so much for the reviews, they really do mean the world to me. I hope you are still enjoying the story, and please let me know what you think. I know I didn't leave an author note at the end of the last chapter, but honestly I was exhausted. I've already started on the next chapter though! So I hope to hear your thoughts on this one and I'll be posting again soon. Love, Leigh


	9. Chapter 9

Ike tensed. He heard her voice and wondered if she was there or if he had finally gone crazy. She was probably still back at her apartment, sitting with her face in her hands, wondering why she had ever taken in the homeless man. Then Robin acknowledged the newcomer and Ike made the mistake of turning his head. Like a vision she stood there, in her jacket that wasn't warm enough for the weather and her scarf wrapped around her neck. He took in the adorable way her nose was red and despite how much he didn't want to he felt his lips twitch upwards.  
"What are you doing out in this?" he asked as he turned his body towards her.  
"I-I want you to come back with me," she was either cold or nervous, probably a mix of both and he fought the desire to console her. She had made it quite clear what she thought of him, after so long he had hoped to not be the homeless man in her eyes but he was and couldn't change that. His hand twitched around the hot travel coffee cup and he turned back to Robin. The young man looked between what he assumed was a fighting couple and raised an eyebrow in silent question. What was Ike going to do?  
"Robin, I hope your studies go well."  
"I hope things go well with you Ike." The white haired young man stuck out a hand and Ike shook it with a small grin.  
"Don't forget to live a little bit kid." Robin chuckled and nodded. With that Ike walked over to her and past her, pushing open the door and holding it for them.  
"Ike-" she started and he held up a hand.  
"I can't survive in this tonight, I know that, but I'll be out of your apartment first thing in the morning okay?" He didn't wait for her to say another word and instead marched onward into the snow.  
"Ike, let me talk please," she huffed out as she caught up to him. "Look I didn't mean what I said... it came out completely wrong and-"  
"What I said doesn't change Zelda," he told her firmly. "I'm not going to be able to live with you anymore, I can't do that again." She mumbled something and he turned his head to face her. "What?" he prompted when she looked away.  
"I said that it's nowhere near the same situation." She finally met his gaze and Ike's steps faltered. Zelda picked up the pace and moved past him, which spurred Ike to continue his own steps.

XxX  
They made it back to her apartment and Ike heard Zelda's sigh of relief as she unzipped her coat. After hanging both garments up Ike turned to face the confusing woman, wanting his unasked questions answered, only to see her shaking on her feet. Worry creased his brow and he reached out a hand. "Zelda I know it's late but," he touched her forehead and frowned. "Dammit Zelda you're frozen."  
"I'm fine," the words left her lips between her chattering teeth and Ike shook his head.  
"Come on," he took her hand and led them down the hall. They got to her room and he tugged her into the bathroom where he moved to the bath. He placed the stopper in the drain and started up the hot water, not looking away from his task. Once there was a few inches of water in the bottom of the tub letting off steam he turned to face her.  
"Alright, get in the tub, I'm going to make you some of that gross hot tea you bought."  
"It's not gross," she defended weakly and he snorted as he stood up and moved to her.  
"It tastes like someone peed in the cup and you know it. Now strip down and soak in that hot water. We need to get your temperature back up and I will throw you in that water if you fight me." She rolled her eyes but began to toe off her socks so Ike left the bathroom.  
He padded down the hall and made the disgusting tea, trying not to gag over the smell. Health benefits be damned he would never drink it. She claimed it was some ancient recipe of tea from Hyrule, a type that the queens and kings of old would have on a cold day. He personally thought that, like the monarchy, the tea should have been replaced with something better.  
After it was steeped and stinky he went back into her bedroom and set it on her nightstand. She would need warm pajamas and he knew from living with her that she didn't exactly wear anything but oversized shirts and either incredibly short shorts or just her underwear to bed. He blocked that mental image from his mind and opened the closet door. There was really only one option and as much as he loved the notion he also hated it. This was why he wanted to leave, he bemoaned the situation as he pulled out a thick long sleeve shirt from his side of the closet. As he moved to the small dresser she had purchased against his wishes he opened the middle drawer and found his softest pair of sweatpants for her.

XxX  
Zelda shivered even in the hot bath. She was so cold! Why had she not grabbed her actual snow proof coat before leaving? As she laid in the hot water she thought of Ike out there making her tea. He was obviously upset about their fight and she couldn't blame him. She felt awful for how the words left her lips and knew that she needed to fix things, but how? A shudder worked it's way through her body and she whined.  
A knock on the door made her jump and she weakly called out. "Yeah?" A second later Ike appeared in the doorway, his clothes held to his chest with one arm.  
"I've got some warm clothes for you to sleep in tonight. Are you okay to get out of the tub by yourself or do you need help?"  
"I think I'll be alright," she said with more conviction than she felt. Ike nodded and tossed the clothes onto the counter before exiting and shutting the door in his wake.

XxX  
Ike listened to the faint sounds coming from the bathroom as he sat on Zelda's bed. The tub was draining and in a minute she would be out. Once he saw her safely to bed he would go crash on the couch. In the morning he would leave for somewhere and not come back. Nothing could make him. He was determined to not make any more mistakes with his heart.  
The door opened and Ike stared in silent awe as Zelda stepped out of the bathroom. Clad in his ridiculously oversized clothes and running a hand through her long hair... she looked so beautiful and adorable he found himself wanting to hold her all night. Instead of acting on that urge he pointed to her bedside table where he had set her tea. "Drink that. How are you feeling?"  
"A little warmer," she said in a soft voice as she shuffled towards the cup. He watched her pick up the cup and drink it down in a few big gulps. "Thank you for doing all of this, you really didn't have to."  
"Says the woman who did so much more for me." He stood up and pulled back the covers. "Lay down."  
"Ike... I'm sorry. I never thought of you as some dirty homeless man. I didn't mean that when I said it, please tell me you know me and you know that." She stepped up to him and Ike felt her arms as they slid around his stomach. She buried her face in his chest and he pulled her against him. After he pressed a kiss to the top of her hair he stepped back. She looked up at him, tears in her eyes that threatened to fall at any moment.  
"I believe you." And he meant it, he realized in that moment. "Now please just get in bed and sleep."  
"Will you lay down with me?" Her soft voice hit his ears and he shut his eyes.  
"I can't Zelda I just..." he trailed off as she placed her hand in his.  
"I don't want you gone when I wake up Ike. I want you right here beside me." Her fingers laced with his and Ike felt his heart thump painfully. "Those feelings you mentioned before? They're not one sided." Ike met her nervous gaze. "I've just been fighting them as best I can, thinking that you didn't feel that way-"  
"Your date?" Ike cut her off, needing to hear from her what that was.  
"Me fighting," she admitted with a wince and Ike shook his head.  
"And kissing me? How you reacted?" His hand gripped hers a little bit tighter unintentionally. That kiss had haunted his dreams and made him hate himself.  
"I was trying to fight it Ike, I thought it was just some momentary weakness on your part and that there was no way you'd ever like me in that way. Then you got your job and suddenly I was hearing all of these tales about Bayonetta and Jeanne and I just... I got so stupidly jealous that I-" Ike tugged her against his chest and pulled her face up to his. Her eyes were wide, tears still in her eyes. He noticed one had trailed down her cheek and used his thumb to wipe it away. She blinked and more tears spilled out. He wiped them away as he leaned forward.  
Zelda let out a small sound as their lips met. Ike couldn't help how aggressively he responded to her soft lips against his. His hands held her hips as he kissed her and he was happy when he felt her own hands grip his shirt tightly. A shudder worked it's way through her body and Ike pulled back. She tried to follow him and he gently stopped her.  
"You need to rest up, you're not feeling well and I don't want you getting crazy sick."  
"Lay down with me?" she asked and he nodded. "And," she cut him off as he tried to turn towards the bed, "no leaving me in the morning."  
"I promise," he said with a small grin and she nodded.

XxX  
On Christmas morning, after being pampered by Ike all day on Christmas Eve, she finally got to open her presents. Zelda ripped into the wrapping paper and stared at the inside of the box in shock. Money. Zelda looked at Ike, who had perched himself on the edge of her bed. "Its not everything, but it's a start." She looked up at him, saw the way he looked so nervous and she smiled.  
"Ike you didn't have to-"  
"I promised." He was so serious she almost laughed. Deciding to drop it for the moment she picked up the other package and tore open the paper. Inside was a long and thin box from a jewelry store.  
"Ike?" His name left her lips a question and he shrugged.  
"It's not much." She rolled her eyes and opened the box. Inside was a long silver chain with a pendant. Curious, she looked at the small round shape, eyes widening at what was inscribed.  
"'For the one who saw me and saved me.'" She looked up at him and he gave her a nervous grin.  
"You did. The other side has a small gemstone on it but I wanted it boxed that way." He looked nervous again and Zelda carefully set everything aside before she crawled over to him. She kissed him gently, still so happy she could do something so simple, and forced herself to pull back.  
"I love it, thank you." He nodded and she tugged on his arm.  
"What?" He chuckled nervously at her when she laid back down against her pillows.  
"Come here."  
"Zelda I-"  
"I think you deserve a better present than a cellphone from me." She hoped her tone conveyed what she meant and by the absolutely stunning way his expression changed she thought he got the message. Gone was the nervous look, the lack of self confidence in his gifts, and in its place was a man who looked ready to pounce. "Merry Christmas Ike."

XxX  
Zelda was rushing behind the scenes at the fashion show, sweat running down her back and face. Her hair was up in a messy bun as she ran around doing whatever Peach asked. As she approached a group of models they scoffed at her, obviously judging the assistant who wasn't made up to their level.  
"Peach wants you to go in this order," she stated before reading off their names. They rolled their eyes and complied as Zelda made a mental note to never call on them again. Suddenly they all looked very interested at something going on behind her and Zelda turned to see Ike standing in the middle of the backstage area, the coffee she asked him to pick up in his hands. His eyes landed on her and he grinned that sexy grin she couldn't help but return.  
"Who is that?"  
"Is he grinning at us?"  
"Must be a producer for the show."  
All the models and their ramblings fell on deaf ears as Ike walked up to her and handed over the iced coffee.  
"Its freezing outside and my girlfriend wants iced coffee," he said in a teasing tone as he bent his head to steal a kiss.  
"I'm sweating up a storm back here," she explained once he pulled away. "Thank you so much I-"  
"I don't mind. I love seeing you running around all sweaty... you covered in sweat is always a good look." He winked and she slapped his arm lightly.  
"Ike behave!" He caught the hand she slapped him with and leaned in for another kiss. She gave in and felt the stress leave her body when he groaned.  
"I have to go back to work but I will be waiting impatiently for you to come home tonight."  
"I'm hoping to be out of here before ten," she told him with a frown and he nodded.  
"I've already got dinner planned, so just get home okay? And Zelda..." he gently put his hand against her cheek and made her look up at him, "I love you." She stared in shock at his first time saying those three little words, her heart skipped a beat, and then she smiled.  
"I love you too."

XxX  
Ike stared down the grimy alley Zelda had taken him from. With the slush of dirty half melted snow beginning to wash away it looked like it belonged in a horror movie. He shook his head and continued walking, mind on the amazing woman who had not taken his no for an answer. He'd been sure she was crazy, thinking that maybe she wanted his organs of all things. Maybe he was the crazy one. Ike chuckled at his thoughts as he finished his walk home.  
There he found Zelda, still dressed from work. She was sitting on the counter talking to someone about fabrics on the phone. A little grin made it's way to his lips as he walked over to her. She gave him a quick smile as she wrote down a few notes and he waited.  
"Hi," she greeted him once she hung up. "How was work?"  
"One year," he said with a slight tremor to his voice.  
"What?"  
"It has been one year since you pulled me from that alley and offered me your couch. One year since I thought I was going to die alone on the streets without anyone being any the wiser. You saved me that evening Zelda, and nothing I will ever be able to do will make you understand how much that meant to me." She looked concerned and Ike mustered up every shred of courage he had. He reached a hand into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet covered box. Then, with her still on the counter, he knelt down on one knee. She clasped her hands over her mouth, tears in her eyes.  
"Will you marry me?" She was already nodding the second he had started his question and before he could even get the ring out of the box she was off the counter and kissing him. They fell to the floor and didn't leave the kitchen for a good long time.

XXX  
And this is officially it. The end! Happily ever after and all that jazz. Originally I was going to write more to this story but I listened to my muse and she screamed that this was it. What do you think? I want to say thank you to everyone for following, favoriting, and reviewing. The alerts make my day and keep me writing. My life can be crazy, but writing keeps me sane. Please feel free to leave me a final review and be sure to come back and read the next thing I tackle. I'll probably be posting chapter one soon. Much love to all of you, Leigh


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